Dubai: The UAE will begin enforcing its annual midday work ban tomorrow Monday, marking the 22nd consecutive year of a policy designed to protect outdoor workers from extreme summer heat while maintaining critical services through tightly controlled exemptions.
The measure, which runs until September 15, prohibits work under direct sunlight and in open-air locations between 12:30pm and 3pm each day.
Introduced as part of the country’s occupational health and safety framework, the policy aims to reduce the risks of heat exhaustion, heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses during the Gulf’s hottest months.
Emergency repairs affecting essential infrastructure, such as water and electricity networks, as well as projects requiring special government permits due to their impact on public movement, will also be permitted to continue.
The restrictions come as temperatures across the UAE continue to climb at the onset of summer, with daytime highs frequently exceeding 45°C in many parts of the country and humidity levels adding to the discomfort, particularly in coastal areas.
