Qatar 2022: "Some people try to discredit Qatar" (A. bin Samikh Al-Marri, Minister of Labour)

"Some people try to discredit Qatar with deliberately misleading claims. Critics are sometimes motivated by racism. They don't want to allow a small country, an Arab country, a Muslim country, to host the World Cup. They know very well the reforms that have been made, but they don't want to acknowledge it," said Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri, Minister of Labour for the State of Qatar, in an interview with Agence France Presse on 02/11/2022, 18 days before the opening match of the 2022 World Cup (Qatar - Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al-Khor on Sunday 20/11/2022, kick-off at 17:00 CET).

Qatar has rejected calls from several NGOs to set up a compensation fund for migrant workers killed or injured on World Cup construction sites: "Every death is a tragedy. There are no criteria to establish such a mechanism. Where are the victims? Do you have the names?" asked the Qatari minister.

Qatar's Labour Minister highlighted his country's creation of a compensation fund in 2018, for workers who did not receive their wages. He said that €320m was paid out in 2022 alone: "If someone who is entitled…