Greeks in Qatar contributing to the great boom

 Opportunities for highly skilled labor abound in the 2022 World Cup host A general view of Doha city, capital of Qatar, with buildings under construction is seen in a file photo. Some 3,000 Greeks – many of them civil and mechanical engineers – live in Qatar, making them a sizable community.

By Ioanna Fotiadi

Qatari government officials may make headlines every time they visit Greece, but are you aware of the unsung heroes behind the emirate’s economic boom, many of whom are Greek? Some 3,000 Greeks live in Qatar, making them a sizable community.

Civil engineers, mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, pilots, stewards, hotel workers, sports trainers, physical therapists and sports event planners have descended on Qatar in droves to join in the frenzied preparations for the 2022 World Cup – for which a Greek serves as managing director of the organizing committee.

The massive effort to get the emirate ready to host the world’s biggest soccer event also includes the construction of a metro system in Doha and a railway line linking Qatar to Oman, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Of course stadiums are also being built, along with extensions to the water and electricity networks, as well as new streets and residential buildings.

Four major construction firms from Greece and Cyprus are part of the push.

“The whole thing is a bit reminiscent of Greece before the 2004 Olympics,” 62-year-old engineer Matthaios Lygiaris, who moved to Qatar from Dubai in December 2011, told Kathimerini recently.

The engineer, a Greek from Egypt, has had jobs all over the world, particularly after working on the Athens metro gave him the credentials to work on its...