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UAE and QATAR. Guest Workers. 

Jonas Bendiksen 

This story explores the world of guest workers in the arab Gulf oil states such as United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. While marketing itself as a luxury playgrounds of tourism and business, close to 90% of UAE and Qatar's population are foreign workers. Most of these workers come from far poorer nations such as India, Bangladesh, Philippines and Nepal, and the workers often endure very difficult employment and living conditions. Oftentimes parents will leave their home country for a decade or more to try to build up savings for their family back home, putting a big strain on family relations.

The World Bank estimates that yearly sum of remittances (the money being sent home by foreign guest workers) amounts to more than double all official foreign aid globally. 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. On Fridays, the one day off... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. Foreign construction worker... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. Tired South Asian workers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. Foreign construction workers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. With the world's tallest skyscraper... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. In the building development... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. A Bangladeshi worker hold... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. A worker passng by the sandy... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. Workers praying in their shared... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. South Asian workers in the... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. Workers eating dinner on the... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. On a Friday, the only day... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Sharjah. 2012. Laborers relaxing on a Friday,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. On Fridays, the one day off... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. In the Satwa neighborhood,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. On Fridays, the one day off... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. A dozen Indian migrant workers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. Bangladeshi street cleaner... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. 2012. Jumeirah beach. On the northern... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. The Al Kouz labor camp. 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. In Sonapur labor camp, laborers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. In Sonapur labor camp, laborers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. Doha. 2012. Nepali guest workers gather in whatever green... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. Doha. 2012. South Asian laborers gather at a Western Union... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. 2012. Al Samaar gardens. Two hours drive outside of Doha,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. 2012. Nepali laborers washing camels at a race track.... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. 2012. Nepali laborers washing camels at a race track.... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. 2012. Al Samaar gardens. Two hours drive outside of Doha,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. 2012. Nepali and Sudanese laborers work inseminating camels... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. 2012. At The Pearl, Nepalese workers put the finishing... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. Doha. 2012. Nepali women working at a bar in a five star... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. 2012. Al Samaar gardens. Two hours drive outside of Doha,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. 2012. Al Samaar gardens. Two hours drive outside of Doha,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. 2012. A man carries a fish past workers dormatories provided... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. Doha. 2012. Nepali guest workers gather in whatever green... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

QATAR. Doha. 2012. Life for a housemaid can be very lonely for... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

KUWAIT. Kuwait City. 2012. Maids from the Phillipines wait for... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

KUWAIT. Kuwait City. 2012. Maids from the Phillipines wake up... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

KUWAIT. Kuwait City. 2012. Maids from the Phillipines being taken... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

KUWAIT. Kuwait City. 2012. Housemaids-to-be form the Philippines... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

KUWAIT. Kuwait City. 2012. Housemaids-to-be from the Philippines... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. Crowds of workers after Friday... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. South Asian muslim workers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. South Asian muslim workers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. South Asian muslim workers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. South Asian muslim workers... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. On the Eid ul Fitr holiday,... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. With single men far outnumbering... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. With single men far outnumbering... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. With single men far outnumbering... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. A Filipino woman handles the... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. Two Nepali guest workers show... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. Guest workers look at the... 

Jonas Bendiksen 2012

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES. Dubai. 2012. A Filipino or Indonesian housemaid... 
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