ENTRY DESCRIPTION
This photo was taken in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The people depicted in the foreground are contractors, often immigrants from countries in South Asia, that come to the country to work. Yet, when they come they quickly realize the city is not as glamorous as it seems. Making up a substantial underbelly of the image of luxury in the Gulf countries, workers are consistently exploited, underpaid, and stranded. In many cases, workers live in bad conditions in labor camps, get paid next to nothing, and have had their passports withheld. While treated so poorly, they are the key reason for the rapid growth of luxurious oil-rich governments. This photo serves as the counterpoint to the mythology of industrial growth of cities (portrayed in images like the famous Lunch Atop a Skyscraper) in the context of increasing exploitation of workers in globalized economies.

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