Migrant workers toil in perilous heat to prepare for Cop28 climate talks in UAE

Report highlights evidence of workers from Africa and Asia labouring in 42C heat in Dubai to build conference facilities

Migrant workers in Dubai have been working in dangerously hot temperatures to get conference facilities ready for world leaders attending this year’s international Cop28 climate talks, according to a new investigation.

FairSquare, a human rights research and advocacy group, obtained evidence of more than a dozen migrant workers from Africa and Asia labouring outside at three Cop28 sites in early September as temperatures hit 42C (107F) in Dubai – the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).