Introduction

While Dubai has a perfectly glamorous and luxurious side, there is a less sparkly side also that most of the time goes un-noticed: the labor camps. What life is like for countless of workers in these labor camps who have come to Dubai from all over the world? Labor camps are generally the most crowded places in Dubai that offer a homelike facility to thousands of workers who work tirelessly and play a big role in building the towering skyscrapers and iconic infrastructures that that Dubai is famous for.

This blog post talks about 7 top facts about the labor camp life of Dubai workforce residing in these labor camps. We will also walk around their day-to-today lives while exploring their living conditions, work routines and the facilities they avail. We will highlight few key challenges they face and the government’s efforts to enhance their living conditions.

1.Diverse Workforce

The labor camps in Dubai act as temporary homes to a diverse population, with workers belonging to different countries of the world. The most common nationalities includes Pakistan, Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Philippines. These workers come to Dubai for better work opportunities to enjoy a high standard of living.

2.Basic Living Conditions

Labor camps in Dubai may provide different set of services and facilities for workers, but generally provide basic life facilities required to live a normal life. Typically, every labor camp provides shared rooms, bathrooms, kitchens and limited recreational facility. Few camps offer air-conditioned rooms, while others may lack these basic luxuries.  A typical layout of a labor camp includes a long row of small and air-conditioned rooms with shared kitchens, bathrooms and common spaces.

3.Key Facilities

Good quality labor camp offer essential living facilities to meet the daily needs of the camp residents. These generally include, medical clinics, first-aid facility, Wi-Fi service, canteens, recreational spaces and transportation facility.

4.Daily Routine

A day for a labor camp resident typically starts early in the morning. After taking a quick and simple breakfast they head towards their worksites that can either be a construction site, a hotel, factory or a services outlet. These workers may reach their workplaces either through a shuttle service run by the labor camp or they may use the public transport whatever has been arranged by their employers.  They often have a long work day with a physically demanding job. They also face tough conditions in the scorching heat of Dubai.

These workers perform their jobs with utmost diligence. They may have a short mid-day break under some shaded area if they employed on a construction project. They get themselves hydrated and may get a little rest and get back to work after the short break. When their work day ends, they return back to their camp to have rest and take dinner. They enjoy eating and socializing with their fellow workers. Many workers may choose to spend their time in getting themselves busy in recreational activities like watching TV or playing sports. That’s how their day approaches towards a peaceful end.

5.Extended Working Hours

Workers in Dubai often work for long hours from 8 to 5 or 9 to 6. Majority of the workers are employed in construction, manufacturing, hospitality and service sectors. Despite of facing the tough life challenges and working conditions, these workers continue their jobs with sheer dedication to support their families back home.

6.Payments and Family Support

Majority of the workers living in the labor camps send a solid portion of their earnings back home to support their families and loved one. These payments play an important part in the economies of majority of the developing nations. In addition to that these remittances can help workers finance the lives of those who depend on them.

7.Vibrant Workers’ Community and Social Life

Besides the tough challenges, workers living in these labor camps develop strong ties with their fellow workers. Labor camp offer great vibrant workers’ communities. Even, multiple comminutes exit within the same camp where workers of different management levels share their meals, play sports and celebrate their events together under one roof. This type of environment creates a great community sense that every worker loves to cherish. Social interactions with other fellow workers develop a much-required sense of belonging and provides a great emotional support to these migrant workers in a foreign land.

Challenges and Key Concerns

Dubai has made a significant improvement in enhancing the living conditions of workers, but still challenges exist.  There are labor camps which have issues like insufficient sanitation, over-crowding and limited access to healthcare facilities. These are the pressing issues that government of Dubai is dealing with them aggressively by conducting frequent inspections to labor camps. In addition to that, Kafala system which ties foreign workers’ visas to their Dubai employers still continue to exist which is constantly leading to pressing challenges for migrant workers. Government of Dubai has to formulate strict rules and regulations to stop the situations of work exploitations.

Efforts for Improvement

In the recent years, solid efforts have been made to enhance the living conditions of workers in Dubai labor camps. These includes increased inspections, strict regulations and development of employees’ welfare committees. Various organizations and multiple NGO’s are raising awareness about the challenges faced by the workers and advocating for their basic rights.

Conclusion

The landscape of Labor camp Dubai multifaceted and a complex component of its economic infrastructure. While it offers multiple basic living facilities but also poses challenges for workers living in these labor accommodation. However serious efforts are put by the government to enhance the living quality of Dubai workforce. By understanding these realities faced by these labor camp residents, companies can improve he lives of their employees by creating a d respectful and fair workplace.  This will help them retain the best talent to contribute to a more balanced society.