International Organization Exposes UAE’s Failure to Protect Migrant Workers

Human Rights Watch has criticized UAE authorities for failing to protect migrant workers who labor outdoors, exposing them to serious health risks linked to extreme heat, which has been intensified by climate change in the region.

Migrant workers interviewed by the organization reported symptoms of heat-related illnesses such as fainting, vomiting, and a sense of suffocation.

Despite the life-threatening temperatures, most workers interviewed by Human Rights Watch lacked access to shaded breaks or cold water for hydration and cooling.

Michael Page, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, commented, “Gulf states, including the UAE, aspire to be recognized as global leaders on various issues, but their track record on the critical issue of heat protection is disappointing at best.”

He added, “As a result, migrant workers in countries like the UAE who are trying to support their families in their home countries suffer unnecessarily every day, contract chronic diseases, and even die due to the stifling heat.”

Many of the hottest days on record since 1940 were in the region in the third week of July 2024, according to a scientific data set, and the heat index in some Gulf cities exceeded 35 degrees Celsius.

Dubai and Doha were recently classified as the two cities most exposed to summer heat worldwide. Media reported that the felt temperature in Dubai on July 17, when humidity is considered, was 62 degrees Celsius.

However, the UAE’s restrictions on midday work are inadequate, as outdoor labor is only banned during specific hours in the summer months. These regulations do not align with the widely recognized “spherical wet bulb heat index,” which assesses heat stress based on air temperature and relative humidity, providing a more comprehensive measure of the risks associated with working outdoors.

In May 2023, Human Rights Watch conducted interviews with 90 migrant workers to assess the heat risks faced by outdoor laborers in Gulf states. This included conversations with 15 workers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia in September 2023, after the midday work ban was lifted.

The organization extended its research during the height of summer in July 2024, interviewing an additional eight workers in the UAE and Qatar.

A worker in the UAE shared, “This job is harmful to our health… Headaches and fever are frequent. The constant sweating weakens the body. But our financial circumstances and needs are the strongest motivators, pushing us to adapt even in this intense heat.”

Peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated that midday heat bans in Gulf countries are inadequate for effectively safeguarding workers, as extreme heat conditions can persist outside the specified months or hours of the ban.

A worker living in the Emirates remarked, “A three-hour rest doesn’t make the heat go away. It remains very hot even after 3 p.m. When the temperature soars, you start to feel dizzy. Your body weakens, and you lose your cognitive and motor skills. Your muscles become extremely weak.”

Another worker said: “If the wind blows, the heat is more bearable, but when it doesn’t, even breathing becomes very difficult.”

Not all supervisors show concern. A road construction worker reported, “The foreman is indifferent, and the engineer just wants the job completed. In the heat, people lose consciousness. Those who remain are expected to keep working as usual.”

The organization found that symptoms such as nosebleeds, fever, headaches, nausea, and fainting are prevalent among workers. Extreme heat can also lead to severe health issues, including end-stage renal failure and even death.

 Human Rights Watch documented that in these situations, migrant workers and their families receive no support from Gulf state governments or employers.

The organization urges UAE and Gulf authorities to implement risk-based heat protection measures, such as using the spherical wet bulb heat index with appropriate thresholds for work intensity, to establish evidence-based work and rest schedules.

Four workers the organization spoke to this summer said water is not always available on the job site. “We have to stay hydrated,” one worker said. “If we lose a lot of sweat or don’t drink water every half hour or so, we start to feel weak.”

These heatwaves, already fueled by the climate crisis, are expected to escalate rapidly if governments do not take action to phase out fossil fuels.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s foremost authority on climate science, has warned that Gulf countries are likely to reach, and possibly surpass, the physiological limits of human adaptability by the end of this century.

According to the agency, existing fossil fuel projects exceed the capacity needed to limit global warming to a 1.5°C increase, which is crucial to preventing catastrophic climate change. Burning fossil fuels is the primary cause of the climate crisis, responsible for over 80% of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Migrant workers also continue to face other violations under the sponsorship system in the UAE, which gives priority to employers.

For example, the difficulty of changing jobs and outstanding employment loans leaves workers in abusive conditions. “If we slow down [because of the heat], the foreman threatens to deduct our wages for three days,” one worker said.

Trade unions are also banned or restricted in the UAE and the rest of the Gulf countries, especially for expatriate workers. Abu Dhabi also restricts freedom of expression, resulting in continued lack of protection, such as a ban on working in the middle of the day.