Behind the glitzy facade

There is no getting away from the fact that Dubai is being built by an army of extremely badly paid workers from the sub-continent. Life for these guys is tough. They live in what are referred to, with no sense of irony, as Labour Camps. They may well be in debt to an agent in their home country who got them the job, and what little money they have has to be sent home to support their families (who they will see once every 2 years if they are lucky). Working conditions are also atrocious - it amazes me that they can work 12 hours in the climate we have here.

This photo was taken just outside my office tower at lunchtime. There are hundreds and hundreds of workers in the area getting some sleep and respite from the heat. It genuinely is a tough existence.