Migrant workers exposed to deadly 45C temperatures in Gulf – report

Workers have endured wet bulb temperatures – a measure of combined heat and humidity – of more than 45C, according to evidence collected by the human rights group Equidem. Photograph: Rula Rouhana/Reuters

Migrant workers across the Gulf are risking their lives by being forced to work up to 14 hours a day in deadly temperatures, according to human rights researchers.

Equidem, a human rights organisation, interviewed more than 250 migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE between 2021 and May 2024 for a new report on the conditions they were facing including their exposure to extreme heat and long working hours.