Worlds apart: A tale of two industrial areas

TURNED away from shopping malls and public spaces on their only day off, tens of thousands of labourers in Doha’s older [free] are spending their free time — stationed in the industrial area — wishing it was not Friday at all.

Meanwhile, those stationed in Mesaieed Industrial City — an estimated 45,000 workers — were yesterday found strolling in a well-maintained park and taking full advantage of market facilities and playfields.

The two areas are home to vast populations of expatriate labourers — and yet the districts could be worlds, rather than miles, apart.

At the Al Attiya Market in Doha’s Industrial area, Gulf Times found thousands of bored men baking in the scorching afternoon sun, battling for space on dustry pavements with nowhere to go and nothing to do.

“I used to go to Doha’s Souq area on Friday, but of late I don’t feel welcomed there at all,” said 24-year old Ram from Nepal who has been in Qatar for 22 months.

Al Attiyah Market offers cheap Chinese goods from watches to shoes to textiles and has a clinic, ATMS and currency exchange houses.

Every inch of space found in shaded areas around the market is considered ‘prime property’ as the workers gather after the Friday prayers. It is a constant battel for space and most have to shield their faces with a handkerchief, some depicting icons such as Bob Marley and Che Guevara, to ward off the piercing sun.

“We don’t come here to engage in shopping as you undestand it. It’s just a meeting point for us,” explained Ram, who was with a group of four other labourers.

“You have to be careful with your money when you rake in QR600 a month only.”

Other labourers were busy running weekly errands, buying soap, shampoo and groceries.

The estimated number of labourers housed in Doha’s Industrial Area, which is surrounded by Rayyan Municipality from three sides but comes under the Doha Municipality, is upwards of 200,000.

“I like to spend Friday in my room, read paper, watch some TV and just catch up on sleep,” said Salabjeet Singh from India, who has been in the country for three years.

“There’s no point in being outside when the temperatures hover around 50 degrees (Centigrade). That’s exactly what I do the rest of the week. Today I came out to make a call back home and talk to my daughter.”

“But I wonder if asking for a clean cinema or a theatre or anything entertaining would be asking too much from the government.”

The Industrial Area is a desert of entertainment with no park areas or greenery to help relieve the boredom that hangs heavy in the air.

Those who can afford a ‘lavish’ QR5 pool their money to grab a Karwa taxi for a ride into central Doha in order to try their luck at the “bigger and better meeting points and prices”.

As estimated 25,000 labourers visit the National area and adjoining spots in Doha on Fridays.

There are also huge labour camps in Al Khor and now increasingly in the Shahaniyya Area. The number of labourers in Al Khor is around 100,000 although they, unlike their Doha-counterparts, have access to a beach and a number of markets.

After visiting the Industrial Area, the experience at Mesaieed Industrial City seemed like a Disney World in comparison.

Low income guest workers were seen heading towards a lush-green park which also houses restaurants, while some were athletically taking part in cricket and football matches in the basketball court.

Others were haggling for a bargain at the market where a saving of QR1 is met with something close to celebration.

“This place is so much better than Doha’s Industrial Area in that it’s peaceful, clean and savvy, said Sikandar, one of the four Bangladeshis found unwinding in the park.

“However it would be swell if we had access to a Cineplex, gaming zones or anything of that sort.”

Sikandar has lived in Qatar since 2003 and has worked in both industrial areas. When asked if he was having a good time with friends, Sikandar answered: “You think a couple of us sitting together talk about fun? What we do is swap stories about how much each of us is yearning to go back home.

“There are tens of thousands of us together but we still very lonely.”