(Newswire.net — August 11, 2016) — Following its neighbor the UAE emirate Dubai, out of the sand dunes emerged an architectural marvel, the city of Doha.
Beautiful skyscrapers, modern 21st century residential areas and a Venice-like district with canals which is mostly empty, while the workers who built it live without basic living standards, according to a documentary named “Qatar’s World Cup Slaves: The devastating truth about Qatar’s world cup bid.”
The documentary by Journeyman Pictures, published in 2015, discovers the shocking reality behind the preparation for the World Cup in 2022. Workers won’t speak out for fear of being fired, however, their voices can be heard describing the horrible conditions they live in.
“We have been here for 2 months. And for 2 months we haven’t been given beds,” one worker said, explaining that a room less than 200 square feet is packed with nine beds and two more sleeping posts on the floor. An old hardly working air conditioner clings from a large hole in the wall, while it fails to cool the air at temperatures that sometimes exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
The homes they build pose empty, a staggering contrast to their own lives. The documentary takes us to the beautiful Venice replica quart with canals, but no gondolas or boats. Only a few youngsters use it as a racing track for their sea scooters.
The documentary explains that the buildings and offices are empty because they have been sold to the rich, who are waiting for prices to rise, then they plan to sell them for profit, and prices will get much higher, especially in 2022 when Doha will host the Soccer World Cup.
During the World Cup, millions of people will flock to Doha, a city with around 350,000 residents scattered across 82 miles of city space. None of them would care about unfortunate workers that die on construction sites.
The documentary explained why workers except to work in such conditions. They simply have no choice. In pursuit of happiness, workers borrow money to be able to come to Doha. However, after they come, the employers take their passports and cut salaries in half, barely enough to send home, covering just the interest rate their families need to pay. So they have no choice but to try to survive and hope for the best.
While the world focuses on the Summer Olympic Games in Brazil, the cries of slaves who are building for yet another global sports event are fading away.