May 20 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organisers have announced the second phase of construction at Al Wakrah, the first of the proposed venues to stage the finals. Last week the Qataris announced sweeping changes to their own labour laws though there was still criticism from pressure groups that they hadn’t gone far enough.
The Qataris will be under no illusions that the first stages of the stadium construction projects will receive intense scrutiny from human rights and labour organisations, as well FIFA. Nor has any world cup preparation programme attracted the level of media interest that the Qatar project has to date.
Foundations for the Al Wakrah stadium are due to be laid in September with construction scheduled to finish around March 2015 and stadium completion expected in 2018.
As part of Qatar’s legacy, after the World Cup the stadium’s 40,000 capacity will be reduced to 20,000 with the extra modular seats removed, re-configured and donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, in consultation with FIFA and the continental football confederations.
Qatar’s 2022 Supreme Committee said in a statement that construction of Al Wakrah would reflect the changes being made in the Gulf state to enhance workers’ welfare following scores of deaths which World Cup organisers insist have taken place at sites that had nothing to do with the tournament.
Human rights organisations and FIFA are nevertheless closely monitoring promised progress.
“With the rigorous implementation of the Workers’ Welfare Standards at all stages of construction, the new Al Wakrah Stadium will also contribute to a significant legacy of enhanced workers’ welfare in the country,” the statement said.
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