Aspire Zone The Aspire Zone is the site of the Khalifa Stadium, a proposed site for World Cup matches included in Qatar’s winning bid.185 A Qatari company, Aspire Logistics, is responsible for “building, operating and managing” sport facilities at the Aspire Zone, according to the company’s website.186 Emiri Decree number 1 of 2008 designated it “the custodian company of the sports precinct.”187 Human Rights Watch interviewed a group of seven Nepali workers at the Aspire Zone who said that their employer had not paid them for three-and-a-half months, and that they wanted to return home to Nepal. They said that their sponsoring employer demanded money in exchange for granting them permission to leave, and that because he held their passports, they were reluctant to quit and attempt to return home.188 All of the workers said that they had paid recruitment fees and did not have their passports, though they said they had asked their employer to return these documents. The workers did not claim to be in the employ of Aspire Logistics and asked us not to identify their employer for fear of reprisal. Human Rights Watch wrote to Aspire Logistics on May 15, 2012, to share a summary of our findings and invite a response to questions about its approach to labor rights issues. In a written response, Aspire Logistics stated that “companies involved in construction on-site DO have a contractual relationship with Aspire Logistics,” and that “amongst the task and scope of work to be carried out, the contracts also clearly stipulate clauses protecting workers’ rights, including conditions of employment, rates of pay, housing, health, repatriation, and contractors’ responsibilities.”189 The company explained that it employs a third-party project manager to monitor the compliance of contractors and subcontractors with such provisions and that any violations by contractors are subject to penalty or legal sanction. It added, however, that it did not have legal control over the actions of subcontractors, whom it acknowledged in general terms may “frequently abuse workers’ rights.” To address such situations, Aspire Logistics’s letter included new commitments to monitor subcontractors and to develop a list of approved subcontractors, as well as a commitment to conduct worker-education seminars to inform workers within the Aspire Zone of their rights under Qatar’s Labor Law.
185 2022 FIFA World Cup, Bid Evaluation Report: Qatar, FIFA.com, p.12, available at:
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/01/33/74/56/b9qate.pdf (last accessed May 28, 2012). 186 “About Us,” AspireLogistics.qa, available at: http://www.aspirelogistics.qa/AboutUs.aspx (last accessed May 28, 2012). 187 “FAQs,” AspireLogistics.qa, available at: http://www.aspirelogistics.qa/FAQ.aspx (last accessed May 28, 2012). 188 Human Rights Watch interview with seven Nepali workers, Aspire Zone, Qatar, June 18, 2011. 189 Letter from Abdulaziz al Mahmoud, Director General, Aspire Logistics, May 29, 2012, p.1-2.
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