In a recent investigation by The Guardian detailing the abuse and exploitation of migrant workers in Qatar, the newspaper reported that dozens of Nepalese migrant laborers have died in recent weeks, tying the deaths construction work-related to Qatar's bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

This is not the first media report on the inhumane working and living conditions of these migrant workers. In January, The Guardian quoted a then-upcoming Human Rights Watch report describing the 2022 World Cup as "a crucible of exploitation and misery."

Media outlets often adopt a narrow lens in their coverage of Arab Gulf states, resulting in stories that — like their subjects — cause great sensation, but hinder a nuanced understanding of the dynamics of the region. Most notably, since the widely publicized debt crisis in Dubai, reporting by media outlets has drifted into a broader phenomenon of "Dubai-bashing."

While recent investigation and debate on Qatar's World Cup have commendably shifted attention to the issue of migrant workers' human rights, there is a need to refocus perceptions and terminology to better understand the position of Arab Gulf states. Understanding the dynamics that underpin such continued human rights abuses in the Arab Gulf states will help facilitate real change on labor and other issues. Otherwise, the most likely responses to charges will continue to be lip service, at best.