DOHA: Qatar has faced a lot of unfair criticism over its hosting of the World Cup that was not based on facts but has responded to any fair criticism, the Qatar 2022 Chief Executive Nasser Al Khater said on Thursday.
World Cup organisers ignored questions about how Qatar’s security authorities would punish fans who broke laws such as consuming alcohol in public.
They also did not provide details about which countries would send police officers or soldiers to Qatar to help secure the tournament.
For years now, Qatar has received criticism over its human rights record. Since 2014, three people have died in accidents at World Cup sites, while 39 have died in “non-work related” incidents deemed natural causes, officials said.
Qatar has issued a string of reforms to its employment regulations since being selected to host the World Cup, including introducing a $275 monthly minimum wage and simplifying the process for changing employers.
More than two million foreigners work in Qatar, many employed directly or indirectly on vast infrastructure projects for the World Cup.
Fifty workers died in Qatar in 2020 and more than 500 were seriously injured, the United Nations’ International Labour Organisation said in a report this week.
It highlighted gaps in data collection and recommended more investigation into deaths that were categorised as non-work related.
— With AFP
