Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium

Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium sits in the Al Maqal district of Basra, Iraq. The ground is a study in contrasts between its recent emergence and the long years it lay dormant. Construction began in 2011, but regional instability and conflict halted progress for several years. It was not until the end of 2022 that the doors finally opened. The inauguration match between Al-Minaa SC and Kuwait SC had a slightly different story. Severe lighting failures and a power outage marred the opening night, leading to an investigation by the Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The architecture is the most immediate feature . The ground sits apart from the nearby Basra International Stadium, which holds 65,000 and is also used by the national team. Al-Minaa SC and Naft Al-Janoob SC share this newer venue. In January 2023, the stadium hosted matches for Group B of the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, including a semi-final between Bahrain and Oman that had been moved from the other ground to preserve its pitch.

It has always been Al-Minaa Olympic Stadium. The new ground is sharp and clean, built by the Anwar Soura General Contracting Company with architectural design by 360 Architecture.