By Paul Osborne

Construction work has begun on the 40,000-seater Al Wakrah Stadium in Qatar ©Qatar2022March 12 - Construction of the 40,000-seater Al Wakrah Stadium has finally begun in Qatar and will be the first Stadium to enforce the new Workers' Welfare Standards, published by the country's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy last week.


This charter was introduced after growing criticism from international organisations on the welfare of migrant workers helping to construct the infrastructure needed ahead of the Qatar World Cup.

It "set clear guidelines that protect the rights of workers throughout the entire chain of contracting, from recruitment to repatriation", according to Qatar's Supreme Court.

The Al Wakrah Stadium, designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and Aecom, is the first to be built for the 2022 World Cup making it the first to contractually enforce the new charter.

There are currently 79 workers on the site, all of whom are housed.

The air-conditioned accommodation provides rooms for two to three people and provides three meals a day, laundry, bathrooms, medical cards, wi-fi, television and recreational facilities.

As part of the new charter, Qatar 2022 officials have also said that health and safety site welfare was in place at the construction site, with a cooled drinking water dispenser within a three minute walk.

The Stadium is expected to be completed by 2018.

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