By Ayman Adly/Staff Reporter
Expatriate workers throng various areas in the city on weekends, especially near the Doha Public Bus Station. Doha residents have complained about these large congregations where some people try to sell small trinkets to make extra money.
On the other hand, a number of Asian workers are staying closer to their homes by organising games of cricket on deserted pieces of land near Industrial Area.
“Every Friday afternoon, we gather together to prepare this deserted piece of land to play cricket and we play until sunset,” said a group of Indian construction workers.
Earlier last year, most labour accommodations were shifted away from family residential areas to the Industrial Area, creating a huge demand for labour accommodation units there. However, the area still lacks facilities, especially for recreation and adequate shopping and services venues.
“Friday has become a time of escape for us from the routine of work and crowded accommodation. Most of us prefer to go to the centre of town for a change,” said Rajin, a Nepalese mechanic.
He also said that he plans to visit sports clubs near Industrial area, so he could go out at night with his friends and have some fun, instead of waiting the whole week to go to Doha.
“It takes almost an hour or more to go to downtown Doha and suitable and cheap transportation is not always available. There is a lot of time wasted in this. So, if we have some good sports, entertainment or shopping facilities or even public gardens close to the Industrial area, it would be great,” said Mohamed, a foreman.
With huge construction and infrastructure projects underway, the expatriate workforce is expected to grow dramatically. Most of these would be single men.