Dubai labour camp aims to set new standards

Dubai Industrial City on Tuesday announced it had completed construction work on an extension to its first labour village, in line with new regulations handed down by the UAE's Ministry of Labour.

The labour village which can accommodate up to 14,000 workers is the first of several labour villages planned to meet demand from companies operating out of Dubai Industrial City, as well as firms with operations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the company said in a statement.

In June, it was reported that permits required for new workers’ housing in the UAE would not be granted unless accommodation met international labour standards, under a new government crackdown.

Employers owning existing labour accommodation will have until 2014 to upgrade facilities to meet strict criteria set out in a new Ministry of Labour workers’ housing manual, which is likely to force a major shakeup of accommodation within the construction industry.

The latest government initiative to protect workers’ rights and improve accommodation standards followed a series of damning accusations about poor worker conditions within the UAE’s construction sector.

Rashed Al Ansari, vice president of Dubai Industrial City, said: “We are proud to be one of the first to provide socially responsible and cost efficient labour accommodation that is compliant with the new federal regulations as well as international health and safety standards.

"The building of the extension to the current Labour Village has been prompted by the strong demand from companies.”

All the rooms at the labour village are air-conditioned and include community amenities such as supermarkets, shops, mosque, landscaped walkways and gardens, as well as parking areas for buses to transport workers, the company added.

Dedicated playgrounds for football, volleyball, and cricket are also available at the premises, it said.

The 560 million square feet Dubai Industrial City is a one-stop, industrial and commercial destination, including 2.8 million sq ft of open storage yards and three million sq ft of warehouses.

Dubai Industrial City features six dedicated zones for food and beverage, base metal, mineral products, chemicals, transport equipment and parts, as well as machinery and mechanical equipment.

READERS' COMMENTS

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM