Dubai is often seen as a dream city, a fairytale city, free of social problems, with incredible financial success and an example of development. Images taken by an Iranian journalist show the exact opposite. The photos, taken by Farhad Berahman, were taken in Sonapur, the popular name for a workers’ home on the outskirts of Dubai, far from luxury buildings and tourist destinations.
In this place, the photographer captured the image of misery, hard work, suffocating and very low wages.
Sonapur, which in Hindi translates as “City of Gold”, serves as a home for more than 150,000 people who come to Dubai with the dream of making a lot of money. People usually come here because of the poverty in their country. The inhabitants of this place generally come from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and China.
The man in the picture above is named Jahangir, is from Bangladesh and is 27 years old and has been working as a caretaker in Dubai for 4 years. His monthly salary is about AED 800 (almost $ 220). Of that amount, he sends about $ 130 a month to his family’s home, and the rest of the money he pays for food and lodging. Although this amount is very small compared to the salaries in the United States or the European Union, in his country this amount is considered very good.
A standard rent for a studio in Dubai ranges from 1500 to 4000 AED, so you can imagine the living conditions of these workers, who earn well below the normal rent.
Accommodation units are often cramped, dirty, and even infested with worms or insects. Despite these conditions, most workers do not earn enough to leave.
During the making of this photo-report, Farhid came under the scrutiny of the authorities, as it is forbidden to take photos in the poor areas of Dubai.
“Most of the time I slept in the car and waited until it got dark so I could do my job. I pretended to be a lost tourist, and the guard wanted to report me to the police because it is forbidden to take pictures in the areas. inhabited by workers, “said the Iranian reporter, who hopes his series of images will make people think twice before talking about luxury in Dubai.
The United Nations frequently criticizes the United Arab Emirates, a country that also includes the Emirate of Dubai, for violating human rights.
