DOHA (Reuters) - Taking selfies from the stands and sitting on the grassy pitch, thousands of migrant workers gathered in a Doha stadium to watch the opening match of the first World Cup in the Middle East.
The special fan zone set up at the industrial area on the city's outskirts included a stadium with a giant TV screen, and another big screen set up outside for an overflow crowd. It sat adjacent to several worker camps where many of Qatar's hundreds of thousands of low-income labourers live.
He had been in Qatar for two years, working long hours under the sun to finish stadiums where the tournament was being held.The wealthy gas-producing country is home to 2.9 million people, the vast majority of whom are foreign workers ranging from low-income construction workers to high-powered executives.
The government says it has enacted labour reforms, including a minimum monthly wage of 1,000 Qatari rials, or about $275, more than many can earn back home. A nurse from Nepal - one of a handful of women watching - said she wouldn't be able to watch any other matches because of her long shifts at a hospital.
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