DUBAI

BUILDING THE DREAM

Dubai is promoted as the sunny destination of choice for the wealthy in search of bargain luxury goods and exclusive hotels. But beneath the alluring image are the squalid living and working conditions of the one million migrant workers who dedicate their daily lives to building the 'Middle Eastern City of the Future".

This series taken in 2007 underplays the glamour factor by depicting the quirky and surreal feel of the place with all its contrasts. It also seeks to restore the visibility of the "invisible" workers and point to realities less widely associated with Dubai such as poverty, abuse and exploitation.

Since similar stories have emerged: it is estimated that at least 6,500 migrant workers involved in building the infrastructure of the 2022 World Cup have died in Qatar in the past ten years.