Extreme Heat and Occupational Heat Stress in the UAE (2026)

Summer heat remains the UAE's most widespread acute occupational-health risk. The federal midday-work restrictions run from 15 June to 15 September and prohibit most outdoor work from 12:30 to 15:00. In 2025 MoHRE reported 99% compliance and more than 10,000 air-conditioned rest stations for delivery workers — evidence of both the scale of exposure and the level of regulatory attention.

Why the calendar is not enough

The midday-work rule is a floor, not a ceiling. Heat stress is driven by radiant load, humidity, air movement, workload and clothing — not just air temperature. Manage exposure with a WBGT (wet-bulb globe temperature) index rather than a thermometer reading.

Immediate management focus

• WBGT-based work/rest cycles by task and clothing, not by shift pattern.
• Hydration and electrolyte regimes with visible replenishment points.
• Shaded or cooled recovery areas within a short walk of the workface.
• Acclimatisation programme for new arrivals and returning leave workers.
• Buddy monitoring and supervisor stop-work authority.
• Medical-response protocol for heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

For work exempted from the ban

Exempt tasks (emergency repairs, continuous concrete pours, some utilities work) still require a task-specific method statement and risk assessment (MSRA) documenting how heat is being controlled — not a note that the exemption applies.