The Qatalum aluminium plant, with its impressive scale and technology, is amazing in itself, but those involved in the construction project are benefiting from the most modern technology as well.

Electronic entertainment offerings for the labor force housed at the construction village in Mesaieed might be taken for granted by many in the developed world. For a migrant worker from Nepal or Vietnam, though, they would be a novelty.

A means of communication

Two internet cafés, each with the capacity of more than 20 stations, have been built and are staffed with qualified IT personnel who help train the often uninitiated in the latest software.

Naturally, internet-based applications enabling the workers to communicate with their distant families have proved to be most popular. Wireless hot spots allow seasoned users to roam the recreational areas with laptops, chatting and browsing, and giving them freedom of movement and total privacy.

Electronic entertainment

There is also an electronic games room next door. Fit for any avid gamer, this room booms with several 42-inch LCD screens attached to any one of the three top entertainment consoles.

Entertainment is also available on select nights at a large inflatable cinema where movies and presentations in various languages are shown.

Adjacent to the technology rooms are services such as a barber shop, supermarket, photographer’s studio and electronics store. The latter is a treasure trove of consumer electronics, including popular mobile phones, laptop computers and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) accessories.

The Qatalum experience

The construction village also offers active sports opportunities, including a grassed football field and basketball courts where a team of 20 recreation professionals teaches and coaches sports and events.

The Qatalum plant, a 50-50 joint venture between Hydro and Qatar Petroleum Co. Production is scheduled to begin around the end of this year.