Qatar migrant workers ‘treated like animals’ – Amnesty

Qatar migrant workers ‘treated like animals‘ – Amnesty

Qatar’s construction sector is rife with abuse, Amnesty International (AI) has said in a report published as work begins on Fifa World Cup 2022 stadiums.

Amnesty says migrant workers are often subjected to non-payment of wages, dangerous working conditions and squalid accommodation.

The rights group said one manager had referred to workers as “animals”.

Qatari officials have said conditions will be suitable for those involved in construction of World Cup facilities.

It has not yet commented on the latest report.

Amnesty said it conducted interviews with 210 workers, employers and government officials for its report, The Dark Side of Migration: Spotlight on Qatar’s construction sector ahead of the World Cup.

The report includes testimony from Nepalese workers employed by a company delivering supplies to a construction project associated with the planned Fifa headquarters.

The workers said they were “treated like cattle”, working up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week, including during Qatar’s hot summer months.

Disabilities
Amnesty said some of the abuses amounted to “forced labour”.

Some migrant workers were threatened with penalty fines, deportation or loss of income if they did not show up to work even though they were not being paid, Amnesty said.

More than 1,000 people were admitted to the trauma unit at Doha’s main hospital in 2012 having fallen from height at work, Amnesty said, citing an unnamed hospital representative.

Some 10% were disabled as a result and the mortality rate was “significant”, AI said.

“It is simply inexcusable in one of the richest countries in the world, that so many migrant workers are being ruthlessly exploited, deprived of their pay and left struggling to survive,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty’s secretary general.

“Our findings indicate an alarming level of exploitation.

“Fifa has a duty to send a strong public message that it will not tolerate human rights abuses on construction projects related to the World Cup.”

It follows a report by the UK’s Guardian newspaper in September, which likened workers’ conditions to “modern-day slavery“.

The Guardian investigation drew a strong response from the world professional footballers’ association Fifpro, which collaborates with the Uni Global Union, the voice of 20 million service sector workers.

Qatar must protect the rights of the workers who are to deliver the 2022 World Cup, it said.

FifPro board member Brendan Schwab said it was “inexcusable for workers’ lives to be sacrificed, especially given modern health and safety practices in the construction industry”.

Read more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24980013

Whole World. One Exhibition.

Today at Baku Expo Centre the 11th Azerbaijan International Tourism and Travel Fair, AITF 2012, opened. The largest tourist forum in both the country and the entire Caspian region once again brings together tourism professionals from national tourism organizations, travel agencies, airlines, hotels and resorts.

With the slogan “The Whole World, One Exhibition”, AITF 2012 has brought together a record number of participants. There are 201 companies and organizations from 32 countries, presenting 62 tourism destinations. Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Cyprus, Malaysia, the UAE, Russia, Turkey and the Czech Republic are among the permanent participants in AITF. Companies from Qatar, Poland, Vietnam, Lithuania, Slovakia and Croatia are all making their debut at this year’s show. In total, this year’s exhibition includes 15 national and regional stands from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Dagestan, India, Cyprus, Crimea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Slovenia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, the Emirate of Dubai, the Stavropol region and Croatia.

The official opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, Mr Abulfas Garayev; the Advisor to the Turkish Ambassador in Azerbaijan on Culture and Information, Mr Said Ahmad Arslan; the Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism of Bulgaria, Mr Ivo Marinov; a representative from the World Tourism Organization, Ms Alla Pirisolova; and the director of Iteca Caspian, Mr Farid Mamedov. Opening the exhibition, Minister Garayev thanked the organizers of AITF 2012, and noted that the exhibition is considered by international organizations to be the most influential in providing impetus to the development of the tourism industry.

The representative from the World Tourism Organization, Ms Alla Pirisolova, read a letter from the Secretary General of the WTO, Mr Taleb Rifai, who noted that AITF offers great opportunities for tourism development.

At the opening ceremony, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Mr Ivo Marinov highlighted that it was the first time that Bulgaria had taken part in AITF to promote its tourism potential.

The Advisor to the Turkish Ambassador in Azerbaijan on Culture and Information, Mr Said Ahmad Arslan, noted that AITF is an important event for increasing the awareness of the global community about the country’s development.

Director of Iteca Caspian Mr Farid Mamedov welcomed all participants on behalf of the organizers, and thanked the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, as well as other the agencies, partners and sponsors who had provided support for the exhibition.

The unconditional prestige of the exhibition and the considerable attention paid to Azerbaijan’s booming tourism industry is underlined by the participation of the World Tourism Organization with its own stand.

This is the third consecutive year in which Turkey has been the partner country of the exhibition. For the firs time, AITF has its own guest country, namely, Bulgaria.

Over the next three days, travel industry professionals will get a unique chance to meet the major companies in the global travel industry, to experience the flavour of each and every country represented at the national stands and to expand their portfolio of tourist destinations.

The exhibition is very attractive with the offers of various recreation and travel opportunities. Medical tourism is widely represented by resorts in Bulgaria, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Azerbaijani tourists are well familiar with the resort cities of Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Kislovodsk, Mineral Waters, Pyatigorsk and Truskavets, which are all represented at AITF 2012. They will be complemented by Crimean resorts and a number of medical and health organizations, including the National Spa Association of Lithuania and Slovenia’s regional administration, the Land of Celje, which includes six luxury thermal spa resorts.

As is tradition, the exhibition includes a stand organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic, and the upcoming 2012 Eurovision Song Contest provides the main theme for the display. Presentations of new projects and developments in the field of leisure and adventure in Azerbaijan will be made by the nation’s leading travel agencies, recreation centres and health resorts, as well as by major hospitality chains operating in Baku, including Fairmont, Hilton Baku, Four Seasons and Park Inn.

Those who admire exotic destinations will be offered interesting, and sometimes bizarre suggestions for holidays in Thailand, Mauritius and the Seychelles.

The biggest stand at the exhibition will once again be claimed by Turkey, which maintains its leading position among the tourists visiting Azerbaijan. Resorts on the famous Turkish Riviera, and well-known hotels and tour companies from different regions of the country will offer visitors trips to both popular and hitherto unexplored corners of Turkey.

A large delegation has arrived at AITF from Croatia. This is certainly in part due to the abolition of visa requirements for citizens of Azerbaijan travelling to Croatia till the end of October 2012. On the Croatian stand, tours will be offered, with accommodation at the best hotels on the Adriatic coast; visitors will be introduced to the sights of the country and will be invited to attend the numerous cultural events held annually in the capital city and the provinces.

This year, there is an increase in the number of airlines announcing their special offers for the Azerbaijani market. AZAL (also acting as the official air carrier), AirAstana, AirBaltic, Qatar Airways, Fly Dubai, Czech Airlines and Turkish Airlines will present their most affordable scheduled and charter flights for the summer tourist season.

Every year, AITF attracts more tourism professionals from around the world. This year’s business programme is full of thematic presentations and seminars. One of the most interesting events on the first day of the exhibition promises to be a seminar on the “Tourism opportunities in the countries of the Visegrad Group”. This will be attended by representatives of the national tourism agencies of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and the managers of major host companies, hotel chains, resorts and airlines in these countries.

A presentation of the hotels and resorts covered by the scheduled flights of Qatar Airways will take place in the first two days of the exhibition; the National Tourism Authority of Thailand will be holding a presentation on its exotic resorts; Croatian companies and tourism organizations will be holding a series of workshops; and the Azerbaijani travel agency, SW Travel, will launch a new online booking system.

In parallel with AITF, the 6th International Exhibition of “Everything for Hotels, Restaurants and Supermarkets”, HOREX Azerbaijan, is taking place.During the exhibition, leading companies from Austria, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and France will demonstrate professional kitchen equipment, laundry facilities, household chemicals, textiles and exclusive dishes for motels, restaurants and hotels. In addition, information technology products for hotels, such as online booking and online payment systems, will also be on display. The exhibition includes well-known brands in the hospitality industry, such as La Cimbali, Santos, Robot Coupe, Rational, Winterhalter, Karma-Global, Rotondi, Scotsman, Modular, Bonnet, Sagi SPA, Rovabo, Danube International, Muehldorfer and Ingrid Lesage Creations.

During the exhibition, presentations and master classes with internationally renowned experts will take place on the stands of participants. Visitors will become participants in and spectators of an unforgettable spectacle and have the chance to see the latest equipment in action.

Thus, HOREX reflects the needs of the rapidly developing tourism and hotel business in Azerbaijan and will contribute to establishing new standards of quality.

New Doha International Airport

New Doha International Airport
Qatar Airways is leading the race in redeveloping the region’s future aviation hub, the New Doha International Airport.
Situated approximately four kilometres east of the existing airport, the new facility will be the world’s first airport to accommodate unrestricted operations by all commercial aircraft, including the A380 – the largest passenger aircraft ever built.
The 2,200-hectare airport site, more than half of which is built on reclaimed land from the Arabian Gulf, combines both architectural panache and technologically advanced systems.
Forecasted for maximum development from 2015 onwards, the airport project will be implemented in phases, starting with Phase One with a cost of US$14.5 billion at opening day.
Work began in January 2005 on Phase One, which is scheduled to be completed from 2012 to handle an initial capacity of 28 million passengers a year, doubling to over 50 million by the time the airport is fully operational beyond 2015.
Both runways have been completed as has the dredging work on site with 60 per cent of the airport built on reclaimed land.
The New Doha International Airport will incorporate a total of 41 wide body aircraft contact gates, together with over 40,000 square metres of space devoted to retail facilities, passenger lounges, and multi-story short-term and long-term parking.
Other features will include a new Emiri (royal) Terminal complex for VIP flights with additional hardstands, cargo terminal buildings, aircraft hangars and associated airline and airport ancillary features. The complex will include an airport hotel and a 100-room transit hotel within the terminal for the convenience of transfer passengers.

Phase One – Completion By 2012
A 4,850-metre runway and a 4,250-metre runway capable of taking a fully loaded Airbus A380 – the largest passenger aircraft in the world. A 600,000 square metre three-storey terminal with 22 remote gates and 41 contact gates, six of which will cater specifically for the A380. The terminal will have a capacity of 28 million passengers a year. More than 40,000 square metres of retail facilities and passenger lounges. An Aircraft Maintenance Centre with a hangar that can accommodate up to 13 aircraft of different types at any one time, including Airbus A380s, A330s, A340s, A320 Family of aircraft, Boeing 777s, next generation Boeing 787s and A350s.

A cargo facility with a capacity of 1.4 million tonnes a year. It will have 11 hardstand aircraft parking bays. A General Aviation Terminal and Hangar. A courier and mail facility. Three road interchanges to access the new airport from Ras Abu Aboud Road.
Final Phase – Beyond 2015 The addition of another 24 contact gates, to take the total number to 65 – six of them will cater for the A380s. The further extension of the terminal building to 900,000 square metres to handle 50 million passengers a year.

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