The backbone of the luxurious buildings like the Burj Khalifa in the UAE, the tallest building in the world, has been built on the sweat and, tragically, the lives of migrant workers. Behind the shining glass towers and record-breaking skylines lies a human cost that rarely makes headlines. This policy brief exposes how the kafala sponsorship system traps millions of migrant laborers across the Middle East in cycles of abuse and danger. Despite government claims of reform, weak enforcement and systematic indifference continue to exploit the laborers. The brief calls for urgent regional cooperation, stronger labor enforcement, and the abolition of worker-paid recruitment fees to end this silent exploitation.

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January 9, 2026