For many people, hacker news is the only source of knowing shit happening in the world, be it innovation or injustice. Hence, if once in a while such stories do pop up, I like that.
In this case, the only solution that I see is automated construction using 3D-printing, most likely augmented by drones to scale. That would put most of those workers out of a job -- a situation probably worst off, and more deadly than the one they are in at the moment. It follows the disenfranching trend that Brynjolfsson gives to technology, and against yesterday’s parallel example (locally made menstruating pads in rural India).
I assumed talking about that was better that the tacitly racist ‘You know, Qatari have no respect for human lives…’ that fill this thread otherwise. It might sound true (family members living there tend to agree, vocally, but they aren’t exactly not-racists) but it seems far less productive than highlighting the works of some Qatari trying to change that.