You mustn't forget that the conditions that may seem "inhumane" to you and I, are far better than the conditions in their home towns. Where they worked under equal temperatures and worse conditions, you must see the greater image. (though I am not saying it is right, i am just saying its not as bad as it may seem)

This country is buliding it's house on sand and not he solid rock Jesus Christ. In addition to this Dubai is exploiting those who have the least to build for those who have the most. I wonder if these workers will be able to live or vacation in any of these fabulous buildings. Shame on them!!

An indifference towards greed continues to be overlooked throughout the world by those either elected or born into in a position of power as an important issue needing immediate solutions to moral, ethical and illegal corruptions. Slavery and human rights abuses of any kind being tolerated and a "part of a culture" due to the complexity of the problem is not an excuse for educated people to look away or give up hope. It is horrible and there is need for us to shout out that these things are not to be tolerated. The suffering of others in the name of greed is a sin of commission for the greedy and a sin of ommission for us that watch it and do nothing.

unlike in america where the law says you have an opinion but the moment the other side hears your opinion which is against your opinion the other side says you have no freedom of expression or something like this

you are free to express just do not be against them

To: sssf

WHAT ???????

Hearing of the conditions that the workers in the UAE must endure should not be schocking - you are talking about a region of the world that even though it says slavery is not condoned has it as a sub-culture. The Middle Eastern and Asian cultures place little value on life - hence people are bound by their economic standing in their respective societies. Vast populations controlled by a favored few; forced by the requirements of day to day living to endure extreme working conditions for their daily subsistance have no choice. Given the vast unlimited wealth enjoyed by the UAE there is little chance that any long term good will come from this forum. Oh, for a short while there will be negative press - the Ruler of Dubai will say we must enforce our labor laws more vigoursily, but at the end of the day profit margins will rule. Maybe the target of the investigation should be the end consumer who will be paying the outlandish prices these homes/resorts/palaces will demand. You will never get a straight answer from any government. Instead ask those buyers you have access to how they feel about their 20 million home being built on the backs of slave labor.

Why???

Why would liberals that support thugs and dictators worldwide, and always and in all ways try to tear down freedom and free markets, ever care about slaves?

The leftist support of Marxist states simply endorses slavery at all levels.

Perhaps that is why they are ALWAYS acting shocked!

Gotta dust your tracks doncha' guys!

To continue getting cheap oil from the U.A.E. we are buddies with their rulers, who live in a luxury that is hard even to imagine, while they exploit foreign construction works. Those work camps are equivalent to "concentration camps". If we want democracy to flourish in the Middle East, lets start with a "regime change" in places like that.

This is one-sided journalism. The countries which "export" these workers don'thave any minimum wage and do no regulate or legislate for the companies in their countries who are taking deposits from labourers before sending them to the Gulf.

The Human Rights Watch report was based on interviews with 60 labourers - less than 0.01% of the total construction workers in the UAE - hardly a representative or scientifically robust survey.

The government in Dubai has taken steps to improve legislation and also to improve enforcement. The situation will certainly improve, but is nowhere near as bad as the HRW report makes out.

Even HRW are quoted at their press conference as recognising that the UAE and Dubai government have improved the laws and enforcement strategies meeting nearly all of the HRW recommendations.

In the UAE most people are paid according to the passport they hold. Locals benefit the most, Westerners a comfortable second, other Arabs third, Eastern Europeans fourth and much of the rest of the world a distant fifth. Everyone here knows that the laborers, at the very bottom of the fifth column, suffer terribly. But rock that boat too much and no more guarantee that the others will keep their higher status. Add to that, no matter what your status, anyone among the 80% expat community who makes too much noise is simply kicked out of the country.

As one who is purchasing a residence in one of the towers that I know the laborers slave to build, I hate what they are being put through, and know that I'm paying enough that they don't have to be so poorly paid and treated. But am I ready to put everything I have on the line just to make a statement or take a small stand? I don't think so. It is almost an all or nothing option. The best hope is continued outside pressure and attention.

I've been to Dubai a few times and toured around the parts which are under contruction, seen the crowds of workers, buses and buses of them, building the city. The workers would not be there if they were not making money, and making a better life for their families. It's hard work, but what about the lives of Irish and Italian immigrants building New York's towers in the early 20th Century? Their days were long, the weather was brutal too [not just very hot in the summer, but also very cold in the winter], but they worked hard and bettered their lives, and those of their families. What about the lives of more recent US immigrants from Latin America working in farms and factories without the protection of labor laws because they are considered "illegal". Yes these experiences are all different from a comfortable live in the US suburbs in the early 21st Century, but I wouldn't call a lot of people working hard to better their families the "dark side" of a city.

perhaps if other countries treated their laborers with more respect and fair wages and living conditions they wouldn't be so quick to rush to america and use up our resources.

Over the last few years I have traveled to Dubai many times, althought most of my time is always in Abu Dhabi. However, Dubai calls to you. It is about the people, souks, fabulous malls and buildings, and the desert. People work there because there is work. It is maddening to see Americans infuse their beliefs, values and opinion on other cultures. The Arab culture can defend and support itself without
us.

its disgusting, just to think that this people got their wealth through US patronage in buying their oil. we, americans should start using alternative fuel, so these (rich arabs) will just eat and drink their oil and won't be able to exploit any nationality for that matter.

Just a Quick note to Caroline: I wonder if the constuction workers who built Sears Tower in Chicago or The Empire State bulilding in NY were able to live on them.

Second note to everybody else: We are not angels in this country. There are some shortcomings pitfalls when it comes to labourers lives. But tell me where in the world are there a perfect conditions for workers lives. Besides, those workers chose to come here with their own will. Nobody forced them to come; in fact some them fought to come here because its far better than labourers conditions in their own lands.

Marc, put down the purple Kool- Aid for a minute, son. If we don't buy their oil some other country will.And please don't blame all the worlds atrocities on the evil west and George Bush. This is the way the world works, has worked since the beginning of time and will always work. Is it fair, no. But there is a market for this labor. Its probably a lot better than what is available to them in their home countries or they wouldn't be there. Be thankful for what you have, where you live, and your heirtage. And if you find all of those good things evil, you can always move to Somilia.

Many years ago, my friend worked in Dubai, and told me about the "carts full of Pakistanis" rolling through the streets and stated that slavery still exists.When free world trade allows the least of us to be exploited for monetary gain of the wealthiest, then I would not brag about it too loudly. It was not a story then and with the free trade agreement with any poor country that wants one, it will not be a big story now either. BETS??????

DUH! This has been going on for over 40 years! That's why as a teen I left the dump.

Besides, the west only raises human rights issues when countries prosper economically. E.g. China, otherwise no one cares...just like the last 40 years.

Brian/Jill, here's an idea, in 40 years you can write the same about Africa.

Slaves aren't forced to come there. They do it by choice because they actually apply for a visa. So they're at least legal, unlike in America where Mexicans run across the border and then are inadvertently forced into slavery and Americans call it OPPORTUNITY!! The American dream!

On a positive note there's one thing binds us all, arab, jew, indian, chinese, american, briton, european.....MMMMM HYPOCRISY :-)

I am disgusted by our criticism of countries that are trying to better themselves,and seem not to feel the slip from economic grip.
If we use our finances well and desist from fighting other people's war to prove what we are not things will be better in the United States of America. We are doing the same as the acused when we are shipping our jobs overseas for cheap labor. I will like to see the human rights agents to look into those jobs that are being shiped out for cheap labor.In my conclusion, I would like to advise our policy maker to stop playing "big brother" to the world. People are no longer listening to U.S.
The world is turning to China for leadership after we have made a joke of our selves in this Iraq war.

Does HRW know the meaning of capitalism? Im from the U.A.E. but have lived my whole life in Mclean, Virginia. I'm tired of the recent U.A.E. bashing. If you want to find slave labour all you have to do is go to any home depot store and find the truck load of illegal immigrants waiting for someone to hire them. Or maybe you can go to any orange farm in california or florida and see where your OJ comes from, or you can go to south east asia and see where your Nike shoes and clothes are made. The fact is that the biggest perpetrators of "slavery" in the world are U.S. corporations. The U.A.E. may not offer laboures mansions to live in or the pay of a C.E.O. but thats capitalism for you. If the labourers did not see a benifit in working there, they would never leave their lives and families just to build our towers, who are we? Or maybe youd rather we adopt communism? almost every one on this forum who has been to the U.A.E is pro U.A.E, wonder why that is? maybe its because we are good people who have opened our borders to poorer people to come work and live their lives in peace. Thats alot more then I can say about the U.S.

Easy to pass judgment on others to cover our own flaws - lets look at the all the cheap labor we import from Mexico and other Latin countries - before we pass judgment on others. Yes, labor is cheap in Dubai and there are cases of abuse and exploitation similar to the US. However, the conditions are far worse in the countries where these laborers come from - as they are in the Latin countries. Our arrogance has blinded us and made us quick to point out flaws in others - we should not throw stones in a glass house. Doing so, we lose credibility and are viewed as hypocrites. Let’s find solutions to our problems then we will have the moral impetus to solve the problems of others. Dubai’s boom is spreading to other countries in the region as well. Both Pakistan and India are benefiting from this. Dubai recently invested $43 bil into Pakistan for infrastructure development and another $5 Bil to build a refinery – creating jobs for these people in their home countries. The magic of Dubai is spreading faster than our mantra of democracy – while we spread democracy through war and finding flaws in others, Dubai is spreading economic prosperity and opportunity.

May be they are onto something.