HRW warns of heat-related risks for Gulf workers

Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned Gulf states on Sunday about the risks faced by migrant workers in the region, who are exposed to extreme temperatures without adequate protections.

"Every summer demonstrates that the climate crisis is worsening the occupational health and safety disaster for millions of migrant workers dangerously exposed to extreme heat," said Michael Page, deputy director for the Middle East at the New York-based NGO. "Because Gulf states have been slow to implement scientifically based labor protections, migrant workers are needlessly dying, suffering from kidney failure or experiencing other chronic illnesses," he added.

Last month, the United Arab Emirates broke its temperature record for May two days in a row, reaching 51.6 degrees Celsius. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait are located in one of the hottest regions on the planet, where summer temperatures regularly approach 50 degrees Celsius, making them particularly vulnerable to climate change. These countries prohibit outdoor work and sun exposure during the hottest hours, from mid-June to mid-September, under an old policy known as the "midday break."

HRW points out that "extreme heat conditions now occur more often and earlier, as early as May," before this break goes into effect. An electrician based in Kuwait told the organization he experienced "dizziness, vomiting, headaches, and blurry vision on numerous occasions" during the summer.

HRW is calling on authorities and companies to abandon calendar-based rules in favor of measures based on assessments of heat stress risks at work. According to a report published in 2024 by the International Labor Organization (ILO), a U.N. agency, outdoor workers in Arab countries are among the most exposed to heat stress in the world, with 83.6% of them affected by excessive heat in their jobs.