A Survey of Expatriate Working Conditions in the United Arab Emirates

Introduction
The Gulf countries have a large expatriate workforce providing labor for several industries. Many international companies are represented in the region particularly in the oil and gas and construction sectors. Concern has been raised regarding the working conditions, health, and safety of this section of the community. Despite this interest there remains little reliable information available about these issues. Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) funded this pilot to obtain reliable data on which to base appropriate health planning and intervention.

Methods
The study involved a cross sectional survey, of a random sample of 578 expatriate workers attending for compulsory medical examinations required every 3 years for renewal of their working visa. The questionnaire was based on similar questionnaires used internationally. It was designed to provide information on the demographics, vocational training, living and working conditions and occupational health and safety experiences of these workers. The data was obtained by computer assisted personal interview and entered into an electronic data base for storage and analysis. 

Results
As anticipated most of the workers came from the sub-continent with the majority 33%, from Bangladesh. Pakistan and India each supplying 26%, also contributed significantly to the expatriate workforce surveyed. The collected data was reviewed and a report prepared and submitted to the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi. 

Discussion
The pilot survey demonstrated the practicality of obtaining information on guest workers by this process. Some information on the employment and working conditions impacting on the occupational health and safety of male, expatriate workers in Al Ain is presented together with their self-reported occupational health and safety experiences.