GCC: Migrants allege unsafe conditions at power plants & airports as conflict continues; incl. cos. responses & non-responses
MRRORS spoke to fifteen migrants in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, working at gas plants, oil refineries, water facilities, airports, schools, and commercial businesses. Their testimonies reveal the extreme vulnerability they face during wartime, often with little or no protection from their employers and host governments."In the crosshairs of someone else’s war", Pramod Acharya, MRRORS
In April 2026, the human rights organisation MRRORS released two articles evidencing the harmful and disproportionate impacts of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on migrant workers in the GCC, amid Iran’s retaliatory strikes following the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
The first article describes the experiences of a migrant worker employed at Ras Laffan gas project in Qatar (which the Business and Human Rights Centre (BHRC) understands is operated by QatarEnergy). For example, the worker, who is employed by the subcontractor Teyseer Services, alleges limited and contradictory communication by the company regarding the possibility to evacuate after the gas plant was hit by an Iranian attack.
In the five weeks of war, Iran has targeted a vast array of businesses, energy sites, water plants, airports, and military bases in the Gulf. The conflict has severely disrupted daily life in the region and affected the global economy. But those paying the heavy prices are the migrant workers, who make up roughly half of the Gulf’s population."In the crosshairs of someone else’s war", Pramod Acharya, MRRORS
The second article describes unsafe conditions for workers across several projects, including:
- For migrant workers at Habshan Gas Plant and Ruwais Oil Refiner in the UAE (BHRC understands ADNOC operates Habshan Gas Plant and Ruwais Oil Refinery). For example, a Nepali migrant worker, employed by the contractor Explorer for Employment Services at Habshan Gas Plant alleges his employer did not explain the potential safety risks and cannot return home as his passport has been confiscated, while another worker at Ruwais Oil Refinery reportedly was “compelled to work under dangerous conditions” and his employer denied his request for leave.
- Labour rights violations for migrant workers at Hamad International Airport in Qatar (which BHRC understands is operated by Qatar Airways Group) and at Zayed International Airport in the UAE (which BHRC understands is operated by Abu Dhabi Airports). For example, the family of a Nepali security guard who died in a drone attack at Zayed International Airport have reportedly not been told details of what happened and are yet to receive pending dues.
- Unsafe conditions for a migrant construction worker at a Kuwait Oil Company project, and for migrants employed at Qatar Facility E Independent Water and Power Production Project (BHRC understands Qatar Facility E Independent Water and Power Production Project is owned by a consortium of international partners, including Sumitomo Corporation, Shikoku Electric Power Company, Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation, and Korea Southern Power).
MRRORS invited Teyseer Services and Explorer for Employment Services to respond.
In May 2026, BHRC invited ADNOC, Qatar Airways Group, Abu Dhabi Airports, Kuwait Oil Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Shikoku Electric Power Company, Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation, and Korea Southern Power to respond to reporting of alleged unsafe conditions for migrant workers on the projects, and to disclose any heightened human rights due diligence they have undertaken to prevent and mitigate harm impacting migrant workers at the projects amid the ongoing conflict.
BHRC also invited the consortium owners of Qatar Facility E Independent Water and Power Production Project to disclose how the prevention and mitigation of adverse human rights impacts are managed between the consortium partners of the project, such as how human rights responsibilities are formalised in consortium agreements and in the consortium’s operating and governance procedures.
ADNOC, Sumitomo Corporation and Shikoku Electric Power Company’s responses can be read in full below. The other companies did not respond.