By Andrew Mills and Charlotte Bruneau
AL WAKRAH, Qatar (Reuters) – For tens of thousands of World Cup fans, home base in Qatar is a concrete compound on the edge of the desert, next to a slaughterhouse and a set of high voltage electric wires.
Barwa Barahat al Janoub, two hours by metro and bus from the furthest stadiums, stands in stark contrast to the glitzy opening ceremony hosted by the wealthy Gulf state but, at $84 a night, it’s the best accommodation most affordable from Qatar.
The new complex, which comprises 1,404 clusters of three-storey buildings arranged in a grid of narrow streets, was designed to house some 67,000 low-income workers – a group that makes up the majority of Qatar’s 3 million people – who are expected to move in sometime after the World Cup.
“You get what you pay (for) and we pay very little,” said Emiliano Carrascal from Argentina as he sat on the sidewalk enjoying a plate of biryani from a restaurant recently opened to meet the influx of visitors.
Carrascal and its neighbors have opted to stay “in the middle of nowhere” so they can support their teams in person given the exorbitant prices in Qatar, the first country in the Middle East to host the world’s biggest soccer event.
Prefab cabins closer to Doha cost $200 a night while rooms in a shared apartment are advertised on Airbnb for $500 and some cruise ship cabins cost several thousand dollars.
Rooms at Barwa Barahat are basic — steel bed frames, metal lockers, fluorescent lights, bare walls, and tiled floors.
Football-themed murals decorate some walls, and a patch of astroturf sits next to a temporary supermarket where residents gather to watch games on the big screen.
“I made a lot of sacrifices to come here. I was saving money for the last two years,” said Sandipan Bhowmick of India, who is competing at her first World Cup.
Sharing overnight costs with a British housemate, Bhowmich said he could afford to stay 18 nights. They share a small kitchenette with Spanish fans.
Mexicans in sombrero attire, Moroccans draped in flags and a group of Brazilians singing “Ole, Ole, Ole” exit buses and taxis.
Fans say the atmosphere is cordial even among those in rival countries, but the party scene is muted given that the nearest venue serving alcohol is 40 minutes away by bus.
“Technically you can’t bring in (alcohol) from outside, but a lot of people (do),” said Agustin from Buenos Aires, who said he had no idea way they did it.
(Reporting by Andrew Mills and Charlotte Bruneau; Writing by Andrew Mills; Editing by Conor Humphries)
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