The United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2024 continued to present a complex picture marked by economic ambition and international diplomacy, notably hosting the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), while simultaneously facing serious criticism for its human rights record, treatment of migrant workers, and climate policies. This analysis explores the multifaceted challenges the UAE faces, including mass trials and suppression of dissent, systemic abuses against migrant workers—who constitute 88% of its population—and the country’s contradictory stance on fossil fuel expansion amid global climate commitments. Drawing on detailed reports from human rights organizations, UN agencies, and investigative research, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the UAE’s domestic and international position in 2024, with a focus on the implications for human rights and climate justice.
Human Rights Crackdown: Freedom of Expression and Assembly
Mass Arrests and Unfair Trials
In 2024, the UAE authorities intensified repression of peaceful dissent. The mass trial of 57 Bangladeshi nationals who peacefully protested in July 2024 exemplifies the government’s harsh approach. Despite footage reviewed by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch showing no violence, these protesters were convicted on charges of “assembling in a public place for the purposes of rioting and undermining public order,” resulting in life sentences for three and 10- to 11-year terms for the others. The trial was conducted in less than 24 hours with only a state-appointed lawyer, violating international fair trial standards. Only after international criticism did President Mohamed bin Zayed pardon and order their deportation, highlighting the political nature of the prosecutions.
Similarly, a mass trial of 78 Emirati dissidents, many imprisoned since 2013, ended with 43 life sentences amid opaque proceedings that barred lawyers from sharing documents with clients and excluded families from courtrooms. Such secrecy and procedural violations underscore the UAE’s systemic suppression of political dissent and disregard for judicial fairness.
Torture and Solitary Confinement
Reports from defendants, including prisoner of conscience Salim al-Shehhi, revealed prolonged solitary confinement used to coerce confessions, a practice condemned by international human rights bodies. The UAE’s use of indefinite detention and harsh prison conditions, particularly for activists and dissidents, reflects a broader pattern of state repression.
Suppression of Pro-Palestinian Expression
In 2024, the UAE suppressed pro-Palestinian voices, expelling a Palestinian academic from NYU Abu Dhabi and forcibly deporting a student who shouted “Free Palestine!” at graduation. NYU’s administration, under pressure, restricted events related to Palestine and warned staff against criticism, illustrating the shrinking space for free expression.
Migrant Workers: The Backbone of UAE’s Economy Under Siege
Widespread Abuses and Health Risks
Migrant workers, making up nearly 90% of the UAE’s population, face systemic abuses exacerbated by climate-related health risks. Despite labor reforms, the kafala sponsorship system continues to restrict workers’ rights, enabling passport confiscation, wage theft, and limited job mobility. Human Rights Watch and FairSquare documented that migrant workers endure dangerous heat exposure, inadequate living conditions, and lack of access to healthcare.
The April 2024 flooding triggered a dengue fever outbreak disproportionately affecting migrant workers, who lived in areas where stagnant water remained for months. Employers routinely violated the government’s summer midday work ban by making workers labor in extreme heat, contributing to heat-related illnesses and injuries. Many workers lack access to cold water, shaded rest areas, or air-conditioned transport, compounding health risks.
Economic Exploitation and Recruitment Fees
Migrant workers often incur exorbitant recruitment fees, sometimes borrowing at 50% annual interest from informal lenders, which severely diminishes their earnings. Wage abuses such as unpaid overtime and arbitrary deductions are common, undermining the economic rationale for migration. Many workers who suffer chronic health problems, including kidney failure linked to heat stress, return home without financial support, burdening overstretched healthcare systems in origin countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
Silencing and Lack of Representation
Legal restrictions prohibit migrant workers from collective bargaining or striking, and civil society organizations face severe government restrictions, limiting advocacy for labor rights. The opaque government reporting on health and labor conditions further hampers reform efforts. Consequently, migrant workers have limited avenues to voice grievances or influence policy, including at high-profile events like COP28.
Climate Policy Contradictions: Fossil Fuel Expansion Amid COP28
Fossil Fuel Production and Climate Commitments
The UAE’s hosting of COP28 in Dubai in late 2023 brought global attention to its climate policies. However, the country continued to expand fossil fuel production, with ADNOC increasing capacity from four to five million barrels per day and lobbying OPEC for higher export quotas. The Climate Action Tracker rated the UAE’s climate policies as “insufficient,” criticizing reliance on carbon capture and storage and lack of credible pathways to net zero by 2050.
A June 2024 Global Witness report revealed that the UAE’s COP28 team pursued fossil fuel deals for ADNOC during the conference, raising questions about conflicts of interest and the sincerity of climate commitments.
Climate Impacts on Migrant Workers
The UAE’s climate policies have direct human rights implications. As one of the world’s largest per capita emitters, the country contributes significantly to global warming, increasing the frequency and severity of extreme heat events. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that Gulf states may soon experience wet-bulb temperatures exceeding human physiological limits, threatening outdoor workers’ health and productivity.
Migrant workers, already vulnerable due to poor labor protections, are disproportionately exposed to these risks. Many endure 14-hour workdays in temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F), with inadequate heat protection measures beyond the summer midday work ban. The UAE’s climate risk assessments acknowledge these vulnerabilities but have not translated into comprehensive protections.
Intersection of Labor Abuses and Climate Justice
Climate-Induced Migration and Economic Pressures
Migrant workers from countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal—among the lowest global emitters—face the dual burden of climate-related disasters at home and exploitation abroad. Their families often depend on remittances, which are increasingly strained by wage theft and recruitment debts. Climate-related catastrophes such as floods and agricultural losses intensify economic hardship, sometimes forcing premature return migration.
Human Rights Watch research highlights that migrant workers’ ability to support families affected by climate disasters is undermined by systemic abuses in the UAE, creating a cycle of vulnerability and economic precarity.
The Role of Migrant Workers in Climate Adaptation
Migrant workers are critical to the UAE’s infrastructure and service sectors, including emerging climate adaptation industries such as air conditioning maintenance. However, these jobs often expose workers to extreme heat without adequate protections or social insurance. COP28 President Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber has emphasized health in climate discussions, but meaningful occupational safety reforms remain necessary to safeguard these essential workers.
Recommendations and the Way Forward
Protecting Human Rights and Rule of Law
The UAE must end mass trials and ensure fair judicial processes, including transparency and access to legal counsel. Torture and solitary confinement must be abolished, and prisoners of conscience released. Freedom of expression and assembly should be respected, including the right to peaceful protest and political dissent.
Reforming Labor Protections
Comprehensive reform of the kafala system is urgently needed to eliminate employer control over workers’ passports and employment status. Enforcement of labor laws must be strengthened, with particular attention to heat protections, wage payments, and access to healthcare. Migrant workers must be allowed to organize and advocate for their rights without fear of reprisal.
Aligning Climate Policy with Justice
The UAE should halt expansion of fossil fuel production and commit to credible net zero pathways aligned with the Paris Agreement. Climate finance must prioritize vulnerable populations, including migrant workers, ensuring investments support equitable adaptation and resilience.
Enhancing Transparency and Civil Society Space
Greater openness in reporting labor and health data is essential for evidence-based policymaking. The government should enable civil society organizations to operate freely and engage meaningfully in policy discussions, including at international forums like COP28.
The UAE’s 2024 record reveals a nation grappling with profound contradictions: a rising global diplomatic profile shadowed by persistent human rights abuses, systemic exploitation of migrant workers, and climate policies that fall short of the urgent action required. The treatment of migrant workers exemplifies the intersection of labor rights and climate justice, underscoring the need for holistic reforms. As the host of COP28, the UAE faces heightened scrutiny and a unique opportunity to lead by example—if it commits to genuine reforms that protect human rights, safeguard vulnerable workers, and align its climate policies with global justice and sustainability.
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