The Dark Side of Dubai That They Don't Want You To Know About

The living quarters of a foreign worker in DubaiFarhad Berahmann

When you hear the word “Dubai” you think of the most luxurious conditions a human being can live in due to the sort of money that is turned around in this location. Behind the huge wealth present in Dubai hides a dark truth that should show the unethical ways rich people sustain their wealth. 

Most labor workers within Dubai are foreigners that work for pennies compared to the economy of the United Arab Emirates. These conditions have been brought up before in the media, but it seems that the world does not really care about the inhumane way these workers are being treated. 

Like living in a third world country 

How can the most luxurious city in the world feel as if you are living in a third-world country? All that most people see are the gorgeous sights presented in photos around the internet. When tourists are taken around Dubai they are never shown the ugly side of the city where all the labor workers reside. 

Indian worker named Shahroukh getting ready for work in his living quartersFarhad Berahmann

One of the workers Shahroukh had mentioned that his poor living conditions in India (where he originated from) are far better than what they are provided or what they can afford in Dubai or UAE in general. India is considered to be one of the poorest third-world countries, so this statement has a lot of meaning. 

Using a broken mirror and stationed next to a bin, a barber sets up shopFarhad Berahmann

The poor conditions that workers live in are due to their low pay. The average salary for foreign workers in the construction industry within UAE is around 2000 dirham (local currency) which would be about $500 per month. Now you can imagine the sort of living costs in such an expensive country, but what is hard to imagine is how can these people survive with $500 a month whilst having to send money abroad to support their families. 

Lies sold as promises 

Many of these workers are attracted by pirate agencies to go work in Dubai. These sorts of agencies that run illegally promise very good conditions as well as decent pay in order to attract as many foreign workers as possible. Most of the foreign workers in Dubai come from India, a country where the unemployment rate is only at 7% as people need to work in order to survive. The government does not have the power to help with social benefits. 

Their accommodation is cramped, filthy, sweltering, and often overrun with verminFarhad Berahmann

Therefore many people are forced to go and work in foreign countries and end up trapped in such bad conditions. Some of these foreign workers end up trapped in these poor conditions, not having the money to go back home whilst others are not having their papers signed by their employers to leave.

A Chinese worker has written a message for his employer begging them to pay him and let him go homeFarhad Berahmann

Besides being pushed to work near exhaustion, these workers are being abused by their employees, verbally and in some cases physically. A call for help has been made to the United Nations about 7 years ago, yet things keep getting worst and worst. This is proven by the stories of these workers who know that the world does not care about them.