The treatment of migrant workers who helped with the construction of stadiums has been one of the biggest controversies along with LGBTQ+ rights since the Gulf nation won the bid to host the World Cup.  

Speaking to Piers Morgan Uncensored, Al-Thawadi said: "The estimate is around 400, between 400-500.

"I don’t have the exact number, that’s something that’s been discussed.

"One death is a death too many, plain and simple.

"I think every year the health and safety standards on the sites are improving, at least on our sites.

"The World Cup sites that we were responsible for, most definitely to the extent that you’ve got trade unions - representatives of the German trade union, representatives of the Swiss trade union have commended the work that’s been done on the World Cup sites and the improvement."

The Qatari official also admitted that "improvements have to happen" with regards to health and safety standards.

Al-Thawadi also said that these problems were "recognised" before the bid process, suggesting the improvements did not happen because of the World Cup.

"These are improvements that we knew that we had to do because of our own values.

"Improvements that had to happen whether it’s our health and safety standards, whether it’s in terms of improving the accommodation standards, whether it’s in terms of dismantling the Kafala System.

"The World Cup served as a vehicle, an accelerator, as a catalyst because of the spotlight which we recognised early on was going to be shed.

"It caused a lot of initiative not only in terms of improvement in isolation but in terms of enforcing it as well.

"And that’s where today we got to a position where our most ardent of critics consider us to be a benchmark in the region."

According to the Guardian, 6,500 migrant workers have died working on World Cup projects since Qatar won the bid.  

Qatar’s treatment of the LGBTQ+ community has also been criticised and it did not help the host nation when FIFA threatened captains of eight European nations from wearing the "OneLove" armband - designed to support the community and promote inclusion.

FIFA warned captains with sanctions and yellow cards, forcing them to withdraw from their decision.

In response, German players covered their mouths during the team photo before their game against Japan.

However, Al-Thawadi insisted that "it is safe for everybody to be in Qatar".

"If it was done specifically to address Qatar, I have a problem with it," Al-Thawadi.

"If it was something that was going to be done and the European nations were going to be wearing it constantly then that’s up to them."

"It’s a decision that FIFA’s made between them and the European nations and it became a stand-off.

"That was a discussion between them.

"It’s safe for everybody to be in Qatar, yes.

"Unequivocally, Piers, yes.

"I think it’s safe for everybody to live in Qatar, Piers. "