Poverty can be seen in almost all countries. There’s not even a single country where the poverty rate is low or complete zero. Moreover, the causes of poverty differ from country to country. 

But when we talk about Dubai and its poverty rate, the case is somewhat different. 

This poverty in Dubai topic is rarely discussed because Dubai is considered the most prosperous, wealthy, and healthy city in the world. 

You must be questioning yourself, “Is there poverty in Dubai or not?”

Let us guide you.

If you dig in deep, you will come to know that poverty in Dubai does not signify being homeless or jobless. But it instead demonstrates the labor condition of its working class. 

So, it will be erroneous to imagine and believe that the poverty line in Dubai in terms of unemployment.

To learn more, let’s delve into this article.

Does poverty exists in Dubai?

Well! The answer is yes, sadly. Approx. 19.5% is the poverty rate in the UAE. According to the world population review, it was uncovered that the largest population of the country is migrant workers. These workers mainly come from countries like India, Pakistan. Bangladesh, Indonesia, Africa, Nepal, etc. 

All these people come to Dubai for jobs. So they can earn and send money to their beloved back home because there are tons of job opportunities in the city. 

They are mostly hired by recruiting agencies or recruiters. On hiring these labor workers are promised a good salary, a better place to live, and other health assurance. But this is never the case when they start working and living. 

These workers are forced to live in labor camping with hundreds of other laborers. They are only paid 1000 to 1500 per month (about $200 to $300 per month). And this is all with housing, transport, food, etc., provided by the company in most cases. Furthermore, they are forced to work extra hours. Plus, they don’t even have good living and sanitary conditions.

And all this leads to debt bondage and no choice rather than to accept the terms and conditions imposed on these workers. This is all common amongst lower-level service workers, domestic and construction.

Here are some of the pictures that highlight the living condition and poverty population in Dubai.

Labor life in Dubai

Labor on duty 

Resting condition at work 

What Necessary measures are taken for it?

The good news is that Human right authorizes and Federal National Council of the UAE has already started taking action against recruiting agencies and recruiters. A bill was passed a few years back in which the rights of migrant workers were guaranteed. 

Some of the basic rights are as follows:

1. 30 days of annual paid leave 
2. 15 days of paid sick leaves 
3. 15 days of unpaid sick leaves 
4. Compensation in case of work-related injuries or illness 
5. Training in the workforce 
6. Rights to get gratuity 
7. Paid charges for extra working hours

Moreover, there are many more rights assigned. To learn more, you can visit the official site of the UAE. 

UAE Unemployment Rate Increased Poverty In Dubai

Business conditioned continued to decrease with the rose of pandemics last year. Many people working as laborers lost their jobs in Dubai. This resulted in an unpaid job, no food and money to return home. 

Here’s the statics of the UAE unemployment rate

This unemployment rate includes figures of past years too. 

• The rate for 2020 was 5.00%. With a 2.72% increase from 2019
• The rate for 2019 was 2.28%. With a 0.05% increase from 2018
• The rate for 2018 was 2.23%.With a 0.23% decline from 2017
• The rate for 2017 was 2.46%. With a 0.82% increase from 2016

A Few More Words 

Though poverty in Dubai is a massive issue. However, now all the supreme authorities, human rights organizations, and the national government have started taking measures in this direction to reduce and eradicate the root cause of poverty in the UAE. Hopefully, it’s believed that UAE will soon improve the condition for its migrant workers and make the country a place where everyone will desire to work and stay.

Note: The stated information in this article is to provide a general guide to the following subject.