Qatar World Cup 2022: this is the inside of the “jail” in which thousands of Argentines will stay in Doha

In the largest housing complex in Qatar the promises of massive barbecues already exist. Over there, Thousands of Argentines will stay in a series of apartmentsbuilt specifically for the World Cup 2022in an area far from the center of Doha and within a religious area.

“Outside it looks like a hospital, inside it looks like a prison”summarized to TN Paul Clementione of the first fans to settle in one of the Barwa units, baptized as “Silver Sons” for the thousands of people (almost four thousand on Instagram) who organized the reservations many months before the start of the World Cup

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From the outside, the structure of the building resembles a military base: gray walls, identical structures and an entrance with a barrier, guarded by several security guards.

“It is the cheapest complex, where within everything you can rent a room at a good price”said Pablo, a 30-year-old from Córdoba who currently lives in Australia and traveled to Qatar exclusively to meet his friends and enjoy the World Cup.

The units -called clusters- were offered by FIFA to all countries seeking accommodation to live in the Arab country during the competition. They are apartments for two people, with a private bathroom, where only a kitchen is shared equipped with refrigerator, microwave, electric kettle and iron.

“The newly built property is located southwest of the city of Al Wakrah. Its design is inspired by traditional Arab houses built around patios. Both the double rooms and the one have a private bathroom with a shower ”, reads the official site of Qatar 2022.

“Here, you can explore the various dining and retail options at Ezdan Mall and Al Wakrah Souq, as well as the cafes and restaurants along the promenade at Al Wakrah Beach,” it adds.

“You can enter at any time, although now they are being stricter regarding check-in. Within the complex there are restaurants and three supermarkets. There is a basketball court, a soccer court, and a beach volley court,” Clementi explained.

The Cordovan is the representative voice of each Argentine and Argentine who will stay, for the most part, together with other compatriots. The Barwa, cataloged with letters and numbers to define the sectors, It encourages people of the same nationality to live on the same blocks.

How much does it cost to stay at the “Barwa Argento” in Qatar?

“The room costs US$84 per night, that is, US$42 per person. At this moment I am alone, waiting for a friend, although these days I hosted a boy who was here”, indicated Clementi.

The clusters are made up of 12 equal apartments distributed over three floors. “To move we have the groups that come and go constantly,” said Pablo. Transportation, free for Barwa guestsoffers two routes: one to the airport and another to the red line of the subway.

“Each one its two beds with its bathroom, a shower and a hot water tank. The kitchen is shared by every two apartments in which we have a refrigerator, a microwave, an electric kettle, and an ironing board with the iron,” added Pablo.

The price includes Wi-Fi, permanent reception and guaranteed room cleaning every 72 hours.

In the rooms, completed a few weeks ago, he can still smell the fresh paint. “You have to be careful because if you lean on you will have white clothes,” said the man from Cordoba.

“In supermarkets you find many things, there is not everything but there are many products. For example, there is no ham, only cheese. They don’t eat pork here because of religion. However, in another large supermarket in the center it is possible to do so”, highlighted Pablo.

“This is going to be chaos when it fills up, but also a party. We are going to have many barbecues and enjoy being here, among friends, living the World Cup“, complete.

Video and photos: Lele Heredia