World Cup 2022

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Changing the competition from Summer to winter is bullshit, but the biggest disgrace to the whole Qatar world cup saga is the mistreatment of migrant workers which is not much better than slave labour. I read that a worker dies at a rate of 1 every 2 days. The FA and other Football associations around the world should be ashamed of themselves if they let this continue.
Yes, very good point.
 
Those statistics are shocking. It makes it more imperative than ever that an authority higher than FIFA, such as the UN, takes an interest in what is happening in the UAE. It's not just Qatar, the whole treatment of medical personnel in Bahrain came to light a couple of years ago but nothing was done.

As individuals we should lobby the government through our MP's to ask why our national football association is prepared to go along with this whole sorry farce of a World Cup.
 
Those statistics are shocking. It makes it more imperative than ever that an authority higher than FIFA, such as the UN, takes an interest in what is happening in the UAE. It's not just Qatar, the whole treatment of medical personnel in Bahrain came to light a couple of years ago but nothing was done.

Polite question regarding the comments made on the UAE - as someone who has worked in the Gulf, now lives in the UAE, spends about 30% of my time in Qatar and is a civil engineer; can I ask you the sources of all the negative comments on the UAE?

I would concur with the death rates and the conditions commented about Qatar and those types of conditions were certainly prevalent 10 years ago in the UAE - but there has been huge changes in welfare and health/safety awareness in the UAE. Still a long way to go - simply because the site management staff - all generally from the Indian subcontinent (like the workforce) - have little experience of what we deem a culture of safe working practice and one of welfare and support. I also travel regularly to India and see the same poor working conditions there; worse in fact because there is not even PPE.

If we want to go finger pointing; there are too many expats here who could not make it in the UK, want an easier life and who work on these construction sites who cannot be bothered to enforce local H&S Regulations that do exist here. To reiterate, it is not perfect, has a long way to go - but the protection measures are there - the problem is enforcing them.
 
On a lighter note - if you are thinking of attending the WC - stay in Dubai and take a short hop on a plane or boat to attend the game - don't stay in Doha. Awful place and the locals, BTW, do not want us foreigners in their country. (Un)official opinion poll conducted end of last year showed that 85% of locals did not want the WC in Qatar. BTW its also illegal for locals to drink in Qatar - some do of course - so where you get a pint is a bit of a challenge!