The Gulf region is notoriously known for its constantly hot, sunny weather and luxurious, modern infrastructure, providing travellers with ideal conditions for year-round beach holidays and outdoor activities. Yet few recognise that delivering such services relies heavily on human labour, with many workers compelled to perform physically demanding tasks in extreme heat for much of the year.
Most of the labour force in the region – specifically in the UAE – is comprised of migrants, many of whom are vulnerable to exploitation either through the kafala system or through other restrictive employment practices that limit their rights, mobility, and wages. In addition, a Human Rights Watch report published this November has documented that migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are subjected to long working hours in harsh conditions, leading to significant health risks. The organisation has reported that multiple workers have suffered from fainting, vomiting and other heat-related symptoms, when working in temperatures above 35°C and high humidity.
A particularly stark illustration of these abuses is provided by a recent Amnesty International document reporting the severe and often unsafe conditions faced by migrant workers during the construction of the Riyadh Metro project. Amnesty interviewed 38 men from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal who worked for various foreign and Saudi companies on the Riyadh Metro project between 2014 and 2025. For most, the abuse began before departure, when they were charged recruitment fees of USD 700-3,500, pushing them into debt and leaving them vulnerable to further exploitation. Once in Saudi Arabia, they were paid less than USD 2 per hour while working over 60 hours per week. The long hours were made even more punishing by extreme heat, which some described as “like being in hell,” with summer temperatures staying above 40°C for much of the day.
Nonetheless, GCC governments continue to devote limited attention to heat protection, relying largely on measures such as the ‘Midday Work Ban’, which allows workers to rest between 12:00pm and 3:00pm. Workers are also advised to take regular breaks in the shade and drink plenty of water, but they are not officially granted enough time to fully recover from prolonged exposure to extreme heat.
Moreover, despite reaching a fragile deal at the recent COP30 in Brazil, fossil‑fuel emissions were largely ignored, in part because Saudi Arabia threatened to derail the talks if its energy sectors were targeted. With fossil fuels being the major contributor to climate change and rising global temperatures, this omission undermines the effectiveness of the COP30 agreement and raises questions about the commitment of key Gulf states to meaningful climate action. This also highlights the broader disregard for the human cost, especially the extreme conditions faced by workers, as mega-projects like the Gulf Railway, a massive desert-spanning railway connecting six countries, get underway.
