City of Gold, City of Slaves: Slavery and Indentured Servitude in Dubai

[Recursion]

From the Journal of Strategic Security (click on "view as PDF"; sorry).

In the past two decades, the city of Dubai has experienced exponential growth, made possible by
vigorous foreign investment and its robust tourism industry. However, beneath the glossy visage
of the city lies a foundation of pervasive human rights violations; primarily slavery. Slavery
presents itself primarily in the construction industry, enabled by the exploitation of immigrant
construction workers. Additionally, many of the wealthy elite manipulate immigration processes
in order to keep immigrant women as their personal domestic servants, subjecting them to a life
of indentured servitude and slavery. The sex trade is also prevalent in Dubai, as many women are
trafficked from all over the world to the city to serve as prostitutes for businessmen clientele.
Additionally, many women arrive willingly, signing contracts to become domestic workers or
work in Dubai businesses, only to have employers confiscate their passports and force them to
work as prostitutes. This is partially enabled by the abuse of the United Arab Emirate’s residence
visa system.

The forms of slavery detailed here are enabled not only by international criminal organizations
and corrupt businesses, but by the corruption and/or ineffectual malaise of the local and state
governments in the region, as well as foreign embassies. Widespread reforms should be instated
to help those in slavery get out and to punish those responsible.

Possible reforms would include increased enforcement of human trafficking offenses,
prosecution of traffickers and recruitment agents, institution of clearer formal procedures for law
enforcement and Ministry of Labor officials to identify victims of trafficking, providing
protection to victims of abuse, ensuring that trafficking victims are not punished for unlawful
acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked, and the institution of education initiatives
about human trafficking and forced labor. Additionally, a large part of responsibility would have
to be taken by investors and companies in Dubai, ensuring that their business practices are lawful
and not exploitative. It would be the responsibility of the United Arab Emirates government and
local administration to implement these reforms, but other states and international investors
would also have to pressure administration and Dubai businesses in order for any of these
reforms to be created.

In the mid-18th century, Dubai was founded as a small village. The city had relative wealth due
to its pearl industry, and it soon began to accumulate population from Persia, the Indian
subcontinent, and other Arab countries. The city was under British rule until the last vestiges of
British colonialism in the area were withdrawn in 1971. Shortly thereafter, oil was discovered,
and the previously nomadic sheikhs in control of the Dubai now had enormous fortunes. The city
only had a small amount of oil resources compared to other cities in the area, and as a result its
ruler Sheikh Maktoum decide to use the money to attract tourism and financial services from
around the world. Over the next few decades millions came, attracted to the lack of taxes, and
overcame the local population; today only 5% of Dubai’s population is comprised of locals.1
Over the past two decades Dubai has grown astonishingly fast, with credit, cheap labor and taxfree
incentives promoting foreign investment and immigration.

[Bluenorthwest]

1. Some information from Human Rights Watch and LGBT Rights in UAE

http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/united-arab-emirates

Major artists who claim to care about human rights, such as Roger Waters, play in the UAE with joy, for the money, without a word or any care for the tortured, the imprisoned, for the abused workers, women and gay people. Roger Waters cashed his check and flew out on his very own jet. A stone cold cash machine in concert:

[Diclotican]

2. Recursion

Recursion

When my old dad, was at the sea in his younger days, he was often in the Persian gulf - and many times also in City's like Dubai - who he told was a desolate, almost a village where the inhabitants for the most part was doing their best to steal and cheat people out of their money.. And Dubai was one of the few ports where he had to have a gun at his waist - And he was not even very found of weapons, and first refused to have one of them at all.. But after some some discussing with his Superior officer (my dad was very clear about this) they compromised - he had to have the gun but he could choose not to have bullets in it, when he was on duty ) when he was on watch in the evening/night as many of the Bedouins would try to climb on board the ships, to try to steal everything they could get their hand on... Everything had to be locked down, or bolted down, and they had to keep an eye on every hing when in port.. He was not exactly impressed by this gentlemen, and I don't think I will use the words he once used to describe them, as he used some color full language about them...

And even as the country have been a whole different one today, than it was in the 1950s and 1960s - I guess some of the more "traditional" straits is still there, if you want or dear to look under the glossy exteriour... It is maybe not political correct to point it out - but slavery in one way, or another have been around in the arabian world for centuries long after it was going out of fashion in the rest of the world- and even if it is called something else today - it is still a form of slavery where others have to work for almost nothing - and be treated rather badly....

Diclotican