The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rapidly positioned itself as a global leader in renewable energy, launching ambitious projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and hosting COP28 to showcase its environmental commitments. Yet, behind the gleaming solar panels and wind farms lies a troubling reality: UAE migrant workers, who are the backbone of these green initiatives, continue to face systemic rights abuses, including wage theft, passport confiscation, restricted movement, and conditions amounting to forced labor. This analysis draws on the latest Equidem report and supporting research to examine the intersection of climate ambition and labor rights in the UAE, highlighting both the progress and the persistent blind spots in the nation’s energy transition.
The UAE’s Renewable Energy Boom and the Role of Migrant Workers
Ambitious Green Projects and Global Leadership
The UAE’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to generate 50% of its energy from clean sources by mid-century, with major investments in solar, nuclear, and hydrogen power. Flagship projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Al Dhafra Solar Project are among the largest of their kind globally, while Masdar’s hydrogen initiatives signal a commitment to diversifying the energy mix. The UAE’s hosting of COP28 and the World Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi further cements its role as a regional and international leader in the green transition.
Migrant Workers: The Foundation of the Green Economy
None of these achievements would be possible without the labor of migrant workers, who make up nearly 89% of the UAE’s population and an even higher share of its construction and energy workforce. These workers, primarily from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, are employed in every link of the renewable energy supply chain—from construction and installation to security, cleaning, and delivery services. Their labor is essential, yet their rights and welfare are often neglected.
Rights Abuses in the Renewable Energy Sector
Equidem’s Findings: Forced Labor and Exploitation
Between February 2023 and June 2024, Equidem interviewed 34 migrant workers from 14 subcontracted companies working on four major solar and wind farms in the UAE. The findings are alarming:
- Forced Labor Indicators: Equidem confirmed 10 out of 11 forced labor indicators, including abuse of vulnerability, deception, restriction of movement, physical and sexual violence, intimidation and threats, withholding of identity documents, wage theft, abusive living and working conditions, and excessive overtime.
- Wage Theft: Workers reported delayed or unpaid wages, arbitrary deductions, and confusion over pay rates, often exacerbated by language barriers and lack of written contracts.
- Passport Confiscation and Restricted Movement: Many workers had their passports withheld by employers, preventing them from changing jobs or leaving the country.
- Abusive Conditions: Testimonies described overcrowded and unsanitary accommodations, lack of access to healthcare, and threats of deportation for raising complaints.
A worker quoted in the report summarized the situation: “The company treats all the workers like animals”.
Market Pressures and Subcontracting
The renewable energy sector’s reliance on complex subcontracting chains makes abuses harder to detect and address. Major international developers often outsource labor to local companies, distancing themselves from direct responsibility for working conditions. This fragmentation, combined with intense market pressures to deliver projects quickly and cheaply, creates an environment ripe for exploitation.
Expo City and Digital Platforms
The Equidem report also documents similar abuses among workers at Expo City and those employed via digital platforms, such as delivery drivers and security staff. These workers face excessive working hours, lack of job security, and limited access to grievance mechanisms.
Structural Causes: The Kafala System and Legal Gaps
The Kafala System
The UAE’s Kafala (sponsorship) system underpins much of the exploitation faced by migrant workers. Under this system, a worker’s legal status is tied to their employer, who controls their visa, ability to change jobs, and right to remain in the country. This dependency makes it extremely difficult for workers to escape abusive situations or seek redress without risking deportation.
Gaps in Labor Law and Enforcement
While the UAE has made some legal reforms—such as wage protection systems and limited rights for domestic workers—enforcement remains weak, especially in sectors dominated by subcontracted and outsourced labor. Many workers are excluded from key protections, and complaints are often met with retaliation or indifference.
Company Responses and Policy Blind Spots
Corporate Commitments vs. Reality
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre’s assessment of company policies found significant gaps between stated commitments to human rights and the realities on the ground. While some leading renewable energy companies have adopted policies on labor standards, these are often poorly implemented, especially down the supply chain.
Mustafa Qadri, chief executive of Equidem, called the findings “shocking” for a high-tech sector that attracts massive global investment, noting that “companies display a blind spot” when it comes to the rights of migrant workers.
Lack of Human Rights Due Diligence
The rush to capitalize on renewable energy opportunities in the Gulf has often outpaced the implementation of robust human rights due diligence. Rampant abuses ahead of mega-events like the Qatar World Cup and Dubai Expo have already demonstrated the risks of neglecting worker welfare in the face of international investment.
The UAE’s Sustainability Agenda: Progress and Contradictions
Green Initiatives and International Recognition
The UAE’s Green Agenda 2030 and the introduction of the Blue Visa—a 10-year residency for climate champions underscore the country’s ambition to attract global talent and drive sustainable growth. These initiatives position the UAE as a model for green transition in the region.
The Contradiction: Rights Abuses in the Green Economy
However, the persistence of rights abuses among UAE migrant workers in the renewable energy sector exposes a fundamental contradiction: the transition to a low-carbon economy cannot be considered just or sustainable if it is built on exploitation and forced labor. As the Equidem report notes, “a guarantee the transition to renewable energy is not only fast but also fair” is still lacking.
Recommendations for a Just Energy Transition
For the UAE Government
- Abolish the Kafala System: Decouple residency status from employer sponsorship to allow workers to change jobs and leave the country freely.
- Strengthen Labor Law Enforcement: Ensure all workers, including those in subcontracted and platform-based roles, are protected by labor laws and have access to effective grievance mechanisms.
- Improve Living and Working Conditions: Mandate safe, sanitary accommodations and access to healthcare for all workers.
- Enforce Wage Protections: Guarantee timely payment of wages and ban recruitment fees and passport confiscation.
For Renewable Energy Companies
- Implement Human Rights Due Diligence: Conduct thorough assessments of labor conditions throughout the supply chain and address abuses proactively.
- Adopt and Enforce Robust Labor Standards: Go beyond legal minimums to ensure fair treatment and dignity for all workers.
- Engage with Workers and Civil Society: Establish channels for worker feedback and collaborate with independent organizations to monitor conditions.
For International Stakeholders
- Tie Investment to Labor Rights: Require concrete labor rights improvements as a condition for investment and partnership in the UAE’s green economy.
- Support Transparency and Accountability: Encourage public reporting on labor practices and outcomes in the renewable energy sector.
The UAE’s green energy revolution is a remarkable achievement, but it is marred by persistent and egregious rights abuses against the very workers who make it possible. As the world looks to the Gulf for leadership in the climate transition, the treatment of UAE migrant workers must become a central concern. A just energy transition—one that is both fast and fair—demands urgent reforms from government, business, and the international community alike.