Qatar's Workers and the World Cup

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/criticism-drives-qatar-to-draft-workers-code.aspx?pageID=238&nID=41313&NewsCatID=364

This article talks about changes Qatar is making to their treatment of foreign workers. At present, Qatar is a nation that does not treat its working class with any sort of dignity or respect. They are paid low wages, are subjected to numerous human rights violations, and are generally treated as disposable company property. The system is very cruel for these workers, but very profitable for native Qataris, who make an average $690,000 annually. The workers are only allowed into Qatar for 5-year intervals, preventing a worker's uprising, and native Qataris are also the beneficiaries of lavish government social spending to keep them happy.

But as effective as this system is for the people in power, it looks like it might be changing. Qatar also wants to be an international player, and has secured the rights to host the World Cup in 2022. But with this international attention comes great scrutiny for Qatar's mistreatment of its foreign workers, on whom the nation will be reliant to produce all the extra infrastructure needed for the tournament. It will be interesting to look at how Qatar complies with calls for it to stop its human rights violations, and how it balances its own self-interest with the demands of new potential allies.