A-Infos (en) Poland, FA: Dubai and the Future of Capitalism (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Many of you are undoubtedly wondering what global socio-economic system 
will emerge from the chaos that has begun to surround us. It is becoming 
clear to a growing number of people that the current economic system, 
namely neoliberal capitalism, is no longer valid in many respects. On 
the other hand, we tend to believe that the world is always progressing. 
This gives rise to hope that things can only get better. But the 
situation is not so clear-cut. ---- The collapse of the system does not 
necessarily mean an improvement in the situation of workers. There are 
still areas of the world where poor working conditions, low wages, and 
extreme inequality are the norm. And I'm not talking about the poorest 
countries here, but the richest ones.

Oil and Finance

Such a situation prevails in the Persian Gulf countries, such as the 
United Arab Emirates (UAE). The model of capitalism prevailing there 
must be terrifying for Europeans. To begin with, the UAE grew rich on 
oil, but today its national income from oil production and exports has 
fallen to approximately 25% of GDP. The country has become the financial 
center of global capitalism, with Dubai one of its capitals. Finance, 
insurance, and real estate now account for approximately 22% of the 
UAE's GDP; the remainder is comprised of trade (16%), manufacturing 
(13%), construction (12%), tourism and travel (12%), and to a small 
extent (less than 1%) agriculture. Simply put, the Emirates thrive on 
oil exports, money circulation, and high-end tourism. The GDP per capita 
of an Emirati is more than twice that of a Pole.

Emirati, the core inhabitants of the United Arab Emirates, constitute 
only 15-20% of the country's population. The remaining population, 
approximately 80%, consists of immigrant workers, of whom approximately 
one-quarter are highly skilled specialists brought to the Emirates, 
primarily from developed Western countries. Approximately two-thirds of 
those living in the Emirates are immigrants engaged in manual labor[1]. 
They come from other Asian countries, primarily Pakistan, India, 
Bangladesh, the Philippines, and others. The UAE ranks among the world's 
leading immigrant populations. Furthermore, native Emiratis constitute 
only 0.3% of all private-sector employees. They primarily work in 
state-owned companies and government offices, where salaries are much 
higher.

Employees in the UAE

Immigrant workers are completely dependent on their employers. 
Opportunities for changing employment are limited. Employers often 
resort to confiscating their employees' documents, even though this is 
illegal. Formally, working hours in the United Arab Emirates are similar 
to those in other countries (an 8-hour day and a 48-hour week apply), 
but in practice, manual workers are often required to work longer hours, 
including overtime (overtime bonuses are rather low). In the public and 
government sector, where Emiratis are primarily employed, the weekly 
working time is significantly shorter, at 36.5 hours.

The main problem with working conditions in the Emirates is, of course, 
the heat. Temperatures in winter reach 30 degrees Celsius, and in summer 
they reach 50 degrees Celsius, which is particularly significant for 
construction work. A high accident rate is also reportedly a problem, 
although official statistics do not confirm this.

In Dubai, the monthly earnings of a relatively skilled manual worker 
reach around $1,000, while those of an unskilled worker, especially 
those employed illegally, reach $300-600. In the city, apartment rental 
prices are exorbitant, reaching $700-800 per unit per month. To save on 
rent, workers live in overcrowded quarters and in terrible conditions[2].

Wildcat Strikes

At the same time, combating abuses and seeking better working conditions 
is difficult. Strikes and labor protests are prohibited. Workers cannot 
form unions and have no right to collective bargaining. Any attempts at 
protest are repressed. Of course, wildcat strikes and illegal 
demonstrations still occur in the UAE, although there is no systematic 
data on this. However, it seems that over the last two decades, the 
number of wildcat strikes has not been so small, especially compared to 
the size of the Emirates' population. In some years, dozens of them have 
been recorded annually, sometimes involving thousands of workers. 
Strikes have been observed primarily in the construction industry. The 
most recent major strike occurred in 2025 at two construction sites in 
Dubai. A total of approximately 13,000 employees took part in the 
protest[3].

A year earlier, in 2024, following mass protests in Bangladesh, workers 
arriving in the UAE organized solidarity demonstrations. According to 
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, these demonstrations were 
peaceful. However, the Emirati authorities carried out mass arrests and 
organized a rushed trial (within 24 hours) of 57 Bangladeshi citizens. 
On July 21, the Federal Court of Appeal in Abu Dhabi sentenced three of 
them to life imprisonment and 54 others to prison terms ranging from 10 
to 11 years[4]. Although the UAE president had already granted them 
amnesty in September, they were expelled. However, the draconian 
sentences and the manner in which the trials were conducted demonstrate 
the local authorities' attitude toward civil liberties.

The Emirs and Trump

The UAE has a population of approximately 10 million, which may suggest 
that the socio-economic conditions prevailing there are an aberration, 
an exception. However, all the Gulf countries essentially look similar. 
They form the Gulf Cooperation Council, which operates as a customs 
union and common market. Despite some signs of rivalry and friction, 
they genuinely strive for close economic integration. Their economic 
importance, due to their hydrocarbon resources and the capital at their 
disposal, is growing.

At the same time, working conditions in the Gulf Cooperation Council 
countries-Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, 
Bahrain, and Oman-are similar. The labor market is highly segmented, 
characterized by a large share of migrant labor (from 70% to 90% 
depending on the country) and enormous income and wealth disparities. 
These are class societies in their purest form.

As one Muslim daily wrote: The strikes erupting in the UAE and other 
countries in this part of the world are shedding light on "the plight of 
millions of unskilled and semi-skilled workers who toil throughout the 
Gulf region, sometimes in temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius or 
more, in slave-like conditions. Frustrated by low wages, delayed pay, 
mistreatment, and appalling working conditions,"[5]they are taking up a 
desperate struggle and risking repression, of which deportation seems 
the mildest. For two decades, this situation has remained essentially 
unchanged. In the UAE, some positive changes to labor law have only been 
introduced in the past three years, but from a European perspective, 
they seem obvious. There is no breakthrough in sight.

We hear more and more about the Gulf countries and the ambitions of 
their elites. They want to have more influence on the international 
stage. We hear how they are seeking the support of Donald Trump and the 
United States; we hear about hundreds of billions of petrodollars 
flowing to and from the US. If the alliance of capital centered around 
Trump and the Arab emirs dictates the terms under which a new economic 
and political order will be established in the world, our future looks 
bleak.

Jaroslaw Urbanski

www.rozbrat.org

[1]I used several sources regarding the labor market and the economic 
situation of the UAE; See, for example: 
https://www.lloydsbanktrade.com/en/market-potential/united-arab-emirates/economical-context

[2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsB_KGkoQJk&t=1560s

[3]https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/uae-13000-workers-protest-at-two-azizi-developments-construction-sites-following-allegation-of-deaths-at-accommodation-co-calls-allegations-falserumours/

[4]https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/middle-east-and-north-africa/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/report-united-arab-emirates/

[5]https://crescent.icit-digital.org/articles/dubai-protests-highlight-slave-like-status-of-expatriate-workers-in-the-middle-east

https://federacja-anarchistyczna.pl/2026/02/14/dubaj-i-przyszlosc-kapitalizmu/
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