The Arena
The Hall of Pais (Arena) is the hall where Hapoel Jerusalem plays since 2014/2015.
The Hall is one of the most advanced halls in Israel and abroad. Its construction, which began in September 2009, was recently completed.
The auditorium covers an area of 40,000 square meters and contains 11,600 seats (4.5 times the size of Malha, similar to the Nokia Hall). The building includes group facilities, a gym, a press area, buffets and commercial areas. The lower space of the Hall, which is 6,000 square meters in size, will be designated in the future for the installation of complementary sports facilities, including a semi-Olympic ice skating center, gym rooms and a sports medicine center. An underground parking lot of 1,700 parking spaces between the auditorium and the Teddy Stadium will serve the audience, and above it will open an athletic hospitality village that includes a hotel, offices and a commercial center.
The Arena has all the necessary standards for hosting international games, including Euroleague and Eurobasket. In addition to hosting the games of Hapoel Jerusalem and other sports events, the Hall will also function as a cultural and entertainment center and conference center. As Mayor Nir Barkat has emphasized in the past, “The importance of the Pais Hall in Jerusalem is of strategic importance because today there is no place in Jerusalem where more than 3,500 people can be gathered, in which a cultural event can be held, including after 23:00 at night.”
The Arena project is funded by Mifal Hapayis, the Sports Betting Council and the Jerusalem Municipality. The cost of the project is estimated at NIS 240 million.
