 Human rights organisations have heavily criticised violations of human rights in Dubai . Most notably , some of the 250 @,@ 000 foreign labourers in the city have been alleged to live in conditions described by Human Rights Watch as " less than humane " . The mistreatment of foreign workers was a subject of the difficult @-@ to @-@ make documentary , Slaves in Dubai ( 2009 ) . The Dubai government has denied labour injustices and stated that the watchdog 's ( Human Rights Watch ) accusations were ' misguided ' . The filmmaker explained in interviews how it was necessary to go undercover to avoid discovery by the authorities , who impose high fines on reporters attempting to document human rights abuses , including the conditions of construction workers . Towards the end of March 2006 , the government had announced steps to allow construction unions . UAE labour minister Ali al @-@ <unk> said : " Labourers will be allowed to form unions . " 
