Gulf Countries Expose Migrant Workers to 'Deadly Summer,' Denounces HRW

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has issued a stark warning that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are exposing migrant workers to another "deadly summer" due to insufficient protections against extreme heat. The organization highlighted that migrant laborers, particularly those working outdoors, are left to fend for themselves amidst scorching temperatures and strenuous physical labor, compounded by relentless demands from employers.

HRW asserts that the Persian Gulf states possess the resources and capability to implement superior protective measures. This includes adjusting work hours based on actual temperature thresholds rather than fixed summer schedules. Between February and May of this year, HRW interviewed 20 migrant workers from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan employed in construction and delivery services across Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

These workers recounted enduring shifts in temperatures nearing 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit), experiencing fainting spells, and facing constant work pressure. One worker in the UAE expressed fear, stating, "Sometimes we hear in the news that someone from another company has fainted from the heat and died. When we hear that, we get goosebumps, we think maybe tomorrow it will be us."

Delivery workers for digital platforms are particularly vulnerable, lacking "cool resting areas" and suffering direct health impacts like sunburn and heat-related illnesses, including dizziness and fainting. This is exacerbated by delivery companies' strict deadlines, which workers fear missing due to the threat of losing income or facing termination. While some GCC countries have introduced measures like prohibiting midday summer deliveries or mandating rest areas, HRW deems these efforts insufficient given the scale of the problem. The organization noted that climate change makes such heatwaves five times more likely in the Arabian Peninsula, with dangers emerging as early as May. HRW is calling for these nations to adopt international heat stress indices for regulating work hours and ratify the new International Labour Organization (ILO) convention on digital platforms to safeguard worker health.