UAE | Employment

Labourers shun clothes for cool comfort after work

Many workers at the accommodation walk around the premises stark naked, much to the annoyance and embarrassment of other residents of the camp.

  • By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 22:58 July 25, 2007
  • Gulf News

  • A worker walks naked at the workers' accommodation in Jebel Ali.
  • Image Credit: Devadasan/Gulf News

Dubai: A workers' accommodation has been turned into a virtual nudist colony.

Many workers at the accommodation walk around the premises stark naked, much to the annoyance and embarrassment of other residents of the camp.

Though the accommodation has air-conditioners, many workers walk around the premises wearing nothing after they get back to their accommodation from their work sites.

A visit to the grocer is done only in underwear.

When Gulf News visited the accommodation, the workers had no inhibitions - they went about the accommodation naked.

While some of them were walking naked to and from the makeshift shower to their rooms, others who went on a leisurely stroll around the premises, posed for a photograph.

A translator who spoke in broken English told Gulf News that one of the reasons the men walk naked is the sizzling heat.

On whether other workers living with them had complained, he said: "There is no problem. There are no women living in the vicinity. We are all men and so there should be no problem about how we carry ourselves on our premises."

'Embarrassing'

But many co-workers said they are disgusted with what they are forced to put up with. Many complained that they have lodged a complaint with the camp supervisor but nothing was done.

The camp supervisor said no formal complaint had been made. "The workers said they feel very hot and hence walk around naked. They do not make any trouble," he said.

"We have a language problem. The workers who walk around nude do not understand our language and we do not understand anything that they say. Initially their nudity was shocking, but now we just leave them alone," said a worker.

Another worker said: "It is very embarrassing. But the naked workers keep to themselves and do not mingle with the rest of us."

Asraf who works in a nearby grocery shop said it is disgusting to see naked men roaming around the premises.

"They wear underwear when they come to our shop ... I am so glad for it. The best part is that these workers are a peaceful lot and mind their own business," he said.


Your comments


To walk naked is a matter of choice but be sure it's in your own premises and no one gets offended. Though these people are staying in their own camp where practically all peers are male, they should take into consideration that they're bound by the Muslim statute being in a Muslim country. The government should stop this act with immediate effect. It's a grave abuse and misbehaviour; it's a slap in the strict rules of this Arab country. Think of it!
Nico
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:32

Though Gulf News reporting has come a long way - you are unbiased and open - but it is no excuse to print such a kind of picture. What impact it will have on children and teenagers who would see this picture. I am sure this picture could have been printed in a much more graphically modified manner and am sure all readers are mature enough to have understood the point.
Shahzad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:27

It is shameful for them to be naked and say it is very hot outside. If the reason is the hot weather then whole country should behave like this.
Zia
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:26

They are forced to do these things because the companies are not treating very well as they are labourers and they don?t need any thing after work - just put them in the camp were there is no AC, or even a fan.
Mihsar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:20

This is extremely shocking to see people in such a disgusting manner with no respect for the Islamic values of this great country. What is their justification? Because of the excuse for temperature they can go into any extent. Stern action should be taken by the authority against this kind of cheap people.
Shyam
Doha,Qatar
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:20

I don?t think most people who are commenting on this article realize what type of harsh conditions these labourers work in. They are not fed well, they share there accommodation with a minimum of ten other people in a cramped room with barely any comfort. Most people who live in Dubai are living in a bubble of wealth driving their Ferraris and Porsches and living in grand style with there executive salaries. I used to work as a consultant for a major contractor that helped develop some prime real estate in the Dubai Marina area; I have seen what type of abuse these labourers go through daily. They barely get fed a proper meal twice daily if they are lucky and work under the sun for a minimum of ten hours at least six days a week. If they are lucky they make maybe around three hundred dollars a month. If they are walking around naked they are doing so at the labour camps which are 100 per cent filled with expat labourers comprised of mostly Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani men who pay a lot of money to come to Dubai only to find cheated and have no choice to work to pay off their debt to the scamming recruiting agencies. People in the UAE need to wake up and have a look around at what is really going on in there country.
Saleem
California,USA
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:19

Lovely! This was the only thing left to have happened. I have no objection against it. If anybody does, I will just tell them please take some of the naked labourers to their homes where they can sleep in cool a/c and can bathe any time they want.
Adeel
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:15

If the reason for nudity is sizzling heat, I suggest the company they work for should arrange for an a/c recreation hall provided with basic entertainment facilities like cable TV, snooker/pool so that these workers can stay indoors to beat the heat and avoid offending their colleagues.
Dabir
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:15

You should not print pics like that.
Noshad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:12

It is really shocking news !! It really is embarrassing to see such people around us. Authority should take instant action otherwise this will increase here. Then it will become more worse .
Istyakh
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:12

UAE hosts labour force from across the world. I am a Malayali and I am sure that mentally sound people from my place are not supposed to walk naked. There are workers from other parts of the world, especially females, who vitiate the great cultural legacy of Arabian lifestyle.
Muhammad
Mahe,India
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:03

So, a question needs to be asked. Is Dubai evolving to a more forward society? If yes, what?s the yardstick? Is it a credible statement? "Oh my! this is a Muslim country" , when many of the things happening in this country are definitely against Islamic law. Today it?s a labour camp with nudists, what if it were a bunch of rich tourists in a secluded resort having a private party in the nude. Would anybody do anything about it? Some may argue, it?s a private affair, but the law of the land should still hold good. No doubt, the workers should respect others moral values. But if a national newspaper prints a story on one incident, I feel that all others evils should also be exposed. Let?s not be selective on imposing the law.
Mark
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:02

Nudity is against the law of this country and against the Islamic values as well. "There is no woman around" is no excuse to move around in underwear or nude. This is nothing but the result of the government?s leniency in handling issues just to promote more of cosmo culture in Dubai. Had these workers been in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, they wouldn?t dare do it, because the sharia law scares them. The moral and cultural code has to be respected, check the decay before it is too late.
Rooh
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 09:01

It's against our values and the law of this country. Action should be taken by the government. No excuse for this behaviour either in the camp or in the compound.
Hassan
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 07:42

This is just outrageous and deviant. Such debauched mannerism should be purged from any decent, civilized and conservative society.
Baha
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 07:17

I hope this act of workers make the superiors realise that they are human beings and should be treated equally. Installing one AC in every room is no big deal for such huge construction companies. No one likes to move around without clothes, but the hot weather has forced them to do so. It?s not good but nobody cares about them so what should they do?
Sumayya
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 06:21

If a person chooses to walk around naked in their own home is their business, no one has to see them. To walk around in public naked is tacky, gaudy and extremely offensive. In America most stores and restaurants have signs saying no shirt, no shoes, no service. Be thankful you don?t have these signs posted or they might go to the store wearing a shirt, shoes and no underwear.
Susan
South Dakota,USA
Posted: July 26, 2007, 04:14

I am a former resident of Dubai, born and bred for 15 years, and now I live in the US. I still have my immediate family living in Dubai, so often I find myself checking your site. The only comment I would like to make after reading this article, that Gulf News has come a long way and has grown leaps and bounds. The reporting is great and unbiased, unlike many of your competitors and allow your readers to either post their comments or just to vent some steam off, and the greatest part is that you guys post them. This is a great step for the integrity of your industry to provide unbiased reporting as well as report on people of different walks of life instead of just concentrating on the Royal officials or celebrities. Great work and please keep it up. I can just imagine that it will just keep getting better.
Jabbar
Florida,USA
Posted: July 26, 2007, 03:13

It is disgusting! How can this thing be happening here in a Muslim country? Strong police action must be taken against such individuals. It is also unethical of Gulf News to print this nude picture. Our kids also read this newspaper. The print media should be highly cautious about the pictures they publish.
Sana
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 26, 2007, 00:50

  • Rate this article
  • Average reader rating (0 votes) 0 Stars
Tools

Emailing an article to friend is a simple way to share a news item. Your friend will receive an email with your name and email address as well any personal message you choose to send.

The information you provide on this page will not be used to send unsolicited emails.

This service is not intended to encourage spam, and action may be taken against individuals who maliciously enter personal details of another individual.

Share this article

More from UAE Employment

  1. Employer prosecuted for false accusation

  2. Firms warned over salaries

  3. Maid visa deposit amount reduced

  4. 500 Emiratis blacklisted for six months

All articles in Employment

More from UAE

Gulf News
Popular in UAE
Readers' pictures
Your pictures

Readers' pictures

A Selection of the best Gulf News reader pictures this week

Latest news
Community Reports

More from Community Reports

Weather

More from Weather