The remarkable development boom in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, both located in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), is completely transforming these cities’ skylines and attracting the world’s top architects. But it is also exacting a serious cost. Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleges that the migrant workers vital to constructing these projects are subject to “abusive labor practices”—and architects, it contends, are complicit in the problem.
In a report titled “Building Towers, Cheating Workers,” published last November, HRW catalogued a host of abusive practices including nonpayment of wages, squalid or dangerous working and living conditions, and the denial of proper medical care. It stated that in 2004 alone, more than 800 construction workers died out of an estimated 2.7 million—although the government claimed only 34 deaths that year. In comparison, the U.S. Department of Labor tracked 1,186 fatalities out of roughly 9 million workers in 2005.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.