Al-Fayha Sports Hall

Project Overview

Al-Fayha Sports Hall is an indoor basketball hall in Al-Fayha sports city in Damascus. After its rehabilitation, the Ministry of Sports and Youth opened it in its new form on Monday 20 April 2026, in the presence of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and several ministers, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

In an interview with Syria TV on 16 April 2026, the director of the Sports Facilities Office at the Ministry said the total cost was about three million US dollars, drawn from the Ministry's investment budget for 2025 and 2026. He described the spending as an investment in Syrian sports infrastructure meant to keep sporting activity going for years to come, and said the hall now fully meets the requirements of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which qualifies it to host high-level matches under international supervision.

Key Rehabilitation Works

The director listed the following works in the same interview:

• Structure and roof: full insulation of the hall's roof with sandwich panels for thermal and waterproofing protection.
• Playing floor: the parquet was fully refurbished, with sanding, smoothing and a polyurethane coating, for high flexibility and safety. SANA described the works as renewing the court floor to international standards.
• Stands and seating: repainted stands, new spectator seats and interior walls clad in a wood-substitute material.
• Technical and climate systems: comprehensive rehabilitation of the air-conditioning, heating and lighting systems, with lighting intensity that, according to the director, meets the international norm for television broadcasting. The Ministry's spokesperson told Enab Baladi in March 2026 that the existing ventilation and air-conditioning system had been serviced and its efficiency improved.
• Service facilities: four model changing rooms, eight modern restrooms and new administrative offices.
• Platforms: three dedicated platforms (VIP, VVIP and referees) with top-grade equipment.
• Digital technology: a giant four-sided screen, LED screens around the court, an outdoor screen in the public plaza, an advanced sound and public-address system and surveillance cameras covering the premises.
• Access control: automated gates for spectator entry, together with rehabilitation of the exterior facades, the lobby and the wider site.

Official Opening

The Ministry opened the hall on Monday 20 April 2026 with a friendly basketball match between the Syrian and Lebanese national teams, in the presence of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and several ministers (SANA). The ceremony included a presentation of the hall before and after rehabilitation, along with sports performances. The Saudi newspaper Okaz reported that representatives of FIBA took part in the event.

Ultra Syria put the hall's capacity at an estimated 7,000 spectators in a report of 13 July 2026. The Ministry's spokesperson told Enab Baladi in March 2026 that the hall's total capacity had not changed substantially in the rehabilitation, although some spaces were redistributed and the seating reorganised for comfort, safety and ease of movement.

Future Plans

According to the director in his interview of 16 April 2026, the Ministry has contracted a specialist firm to rehabilitate Al-Hamdaniyah Hall in Aleppo to FIBA standards. For the subsidiary halls in Al-Fayha sports city, he said insulation of the metal roof had been completed and that the next phase would cover the parquet floors and the remaining facilities. Okaz reported that there are plans to develop other halls in Aleppo and Homs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What standards does the rehabilitated Al-Fayha Sports Hall meet?

According to the director of the Ministry's Sports Facilities Office, the hall fully meets the requirements of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which qualifies it to host high-level matches (Syria TV, 16 April 2026).

How much did the rehabilitation cost?

About three million US dollars, according to the same director, drawn from the Ministry's investment budget for 2025 and 2026.

What is the hall's spectator capacity?

Ultra Syria (13 July 2026) put it at an estimated 7,000 spectators. The Ministry's spokesperson told Enab Baladi (15 March 2026) that the total capacity did not change substantially in the rehabilitation; some spaces were redistributed and the seating reorganised.

When was the hall opened?

On 20 April 2026, with a friendly match between the Syrian and Lebanese national basketball teams, according to SANA.

Update — 2026-04-20

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on 20 April 2026, Al-Fayha Sports Hall in Damascus opened in its new form at an official ceremony that featured a friendly basketball match between the Syrian and Lebanese national teams.

SANA reported that the rehabilitation works covered renewal of the court floor to international standards, maintenance and reorganisation of the stands, an upgraded lighting system, new scoreboards displaying timing and statistics, improved entrances, exits and internal corridors, rehabilitated changing rooms for players and referees, and upgraded media and spectator facilities.

Sources

• https://sana.sy/presidency/2455424/

UPDATE 02.08.2026, the hall hosts games of the Syrian basketball league final series

Two games of the Syrian Basketball League final series between Al-Wahda and Ahli Aleppo were played at Al-Fayha Hall, on Saturday 25 July 2026 and Sunday 2 August 2026, according to winwin reports of 26 July and 3 August. Ultra Syria reported on 13 July 2026 that a game of the league's Final Four had also been played at the hall on Saturday 11 July.