A facility at the Labour City.
A group of 15 foreign and local journalists on Thursday were taken on a guided tour of the Labour City, which is 14km from Doha.
The journalists were from Hungary, the United Kingdom and other countries who covered the 21st General Assembly meeting of the Association National Olympic Committee (ANOC) held in Doha last week.
“It certainly is a good decision by the Qatar government to make a city for the labourers,” Antal Hubai, a Hungarian journalist from RTL Klub, said.
“I even visited some Hungarians based here and they told me that there is a legislation in place that binds the employers to pay the labourers’ salary on time,” added Hubai.
“The welfare schemes provided by Qatar are much better than Hungary, even though Hungry is nine times the size of Qatar,” he said.
Hubai’s colleague, cameraman, Peter Kovacs said, “If the workers live in good conditions, their ability to work will be better. This is why I think Qatar has decided to make a city for labourers. “It’s good that everything is located within close quarters – cinema, mall, hospitals, cricket stadium, all of those facilities,” added Kovacs.
Gerry Cox of Hayters Teamwork, a sports agency based in London, called the facilities “first class” — housing, medical and every other facility."It does answer a lot of critics.”
Cox pointed out that he first came to Qatar during the Asian Games staged in Doha in 2006 and there have been many changes since then. “It definitely changed enormously, grown beyond belief in the last 10 years.”
Briton Charles Sale, who regularly writes for the Daily Mail, also appreciated Qatar government’s efforts in this direction.
The aim of the tour was to dispel fears and provide an answer to critics, engaged in mudslinging to jeopardise Qatar World Cup 2022 preparations.
Vast and spacious Labour City is home to 60,000
In his article, ‘Qatar looks to learn from London mistakes ahead of 2022 World Cup’, he writes, “Labour City is home to 60,000 migrant workers living in relatively comfortable four-bed rooms along with recreational areas, cinemas, shops, restaurants, a medical centre and a cricket ground.”
And with six more such cities under construction, the queries of critics have been effectively been addressed.
The vast and spacious labour city spanning across 1,100,000 square metres, is home to 60,000 workers, informed Abdul Malik, the guide who works with one of the contractors in Labour City. “The total capacity is much higher, though, it can house 100,000 people,” he said, even as he effectively conducted the tour, fielding questions in fluent English and Arabic.
Following a brief video presentation, which is freely available on the YouTube, Malik led the party into the living rooms of the workers, where the neat and clean dormitory-styled corridors were lined with doors opening into spacious rooms (312 in that particular building). With three or four occupants each and enough room for belongings, the room definitely was ‘a catch’ for the workers, much in contrast to what it has been portrayed by certain western dailies.
What was even more noteworthy was the fact that occupants in one such room were busy taking their afternoon nap, even as their door remained unlocked — an indication that they felt safe and secure in the premises. Not to forget the security room in the building was active round the clock.
The party was then led into the dining area on that particular floor, where they were informed that the seating capacity of that particular hall was 312.
The menu, too, looked healthy and sumptuous, very much in-tune with the traditional and dietary needs of a person engaged in physical tasks.
Not too far from the dining hall is the recreation area that contains a pool table, table-tennis table, and table football.
Not far also from the premises are the Grand Mall, which houses a theatre, a football field and the cricket stadium in close quarters, that has conducted many an international match.
The Imara Medical Centre is well equipped with OPD, laboratory and radiology facilities with more departments to be added soon. This apart from the state-of-the-art hospital located less than three kilometres from the clinic is an added plus.
