The Occupational Heat Stress Prevention Policy is marking its 21st consecutive year in the United Arab Emirates, beginning on 15 June and scheduled to continue until 15 September 2025. The initiative underlines the UAE's sustainable and humanitarian approach, highlighting its ongoing dedication to ensuring its workers' health and wellbeing, particularly during the summer months when temperatures soar across the GCC region, making working outdoors or under direct sunlight extremely difficult during the midday hours.
In an effort to protect workers against heat stress, the policy's provisions require businesses to provide dedicated rest areas for workers between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., and to equip these facilities with cooling devices, cold drinking water, and other amenities that enhance their safety, health, and happiness.
Over the past few years, compliance rates with the policy among companies have exceeded 99%. The impressive figure stands as a testament to the pioneering partnership between the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and the private sector, underscoring a deep understanding of social responsibility across the UAE, which hosts expats from more than 200 nationalities who come to the Emirates to live, work, and invest. This, in turn, aligns closely with the objectives of the ambitious 'We the UAE 2031' vision.
This year, the Ministry's joint efforts with the government and private sectors allowed for significantly expanding the number of air-conditioned rest stations dedicated to delivery workers to more than 10,000 stations across the country, up from 6,000 last year. The initiative takes into special consideration the need to ensure continuity for certain businesses and essential services.
These developments firmly position the Occupational Heat Stress Prevention Policy as a key pillar of the UAE labour market legislation, designed to provide a work environment that meets all occupational health and safety standards, while also prioritising workers' welfare and happiness. This, in effect, is a clear indicator of the country's long-standing commitment to social and humanitarian cohesion, backed by leading initiatives from private-sector companies and members of the community that are implemented annually throughout the period where the policy is in effect.