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[PHOTOS] The Dark Side Of Dubai: "Slave" Labor, Long Hours, Desperate Conditions

05-12-2014 | 03:00

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[PHOTOS] The Dark Side Of Dubai: "Slave" Labor, Long Hours, Desperate Conditions

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An Iranian photographer has given an insight into the lives of South Asian workers who travel to Dubai in the hope of building a better future for their families only to find low wages, squalor and strenuous work in stifling heat.

Farhad Berahman's photos were taken in Sonapur, a work camp located on the outskirts of Dubai, far away from the soaring skyscrapers and the luxury that the United Arab Emirates city is renowned for.

'Sonapur', an unofficial name of the camp which ironically means 'City of Gold' in Hindi, is home to over 150,000 laborers, mostly from India, Pakistan, China and Bangladesh.

33-year-old Berahman has visited Dubai several times, watching it grow in size and wealth. He says there is an unspoken understanding that Dubai is home to three different classes of people - the Emiratis, the expats and, at the bottom, the laborers who built the city.

The photographer also explains that many workers have their passports seized at the airport and are compelled to work long shifts in blistering heat for very low wages.

The laborers are taken to Sonapur - which does not exist on the map - so their employers can better control them.

Berahman spoke to a Bangladeshi worker called Jahangir. The 27-year-old has worked as a cleaner for the past 4 years and earns a monthly salary of 800 AED ($220) and sends 500 AED ($137) to his family. He is obliged to survive on what little remains.

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