May 24 – The ruler of Qatar has hit back at what he describes as unprecedented attacks on his country, including by those “in a position of influence”, in the build-up to the World Cup later this year.
The Gulf state has faced constant questions about the treatment of foreign workers and last week human rights and fans groups called on FIFA to set aside $440 million to compensate migrant workers for “human rights abuses” during World Cup preparations.
The Qatar government, which has denied the accusations, said it had introduced various reforms in the last five years, including a new national minimum wage and the removal of the infamous kafala system.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani acknowledged that not everything was perfect but, he told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Qatar had carried out the reforms at “lightning speed” since being awarded the World Cup in 2010
“Even today there are still people who cannot accept the idea the Arab Muslim country would host a tournament like the World Cup,” al Thani told his audience.
“These individuals including many in positions of influence have launched attacks at a pace never seen before when a mega sporting event was hosted by other countries on different continents, despite the fact that each of those countries had its own particular problems and challenges
“Qatar is just like your own country. Not perfect, constantly trying to improve and full of hope for a brighter future. We are so proud of the development, reforms and the progress we made, and we are grateful for the spotlight that the World Cup provided which inspired us to make these changes at a lightning speed. I assure everyone listening that this version of the World Cup will be a special one.”
Attending the same meeting FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the tournament is expected to be watched by 5 billion people around the world, smashing the previous record of 3.5 billion for the 2018 event in Russia.
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