Worker Residential Villages: The Impact of Cultural Diversity

Abstract

Over the past two decades, fuelled by its vast oil reserves and industries, the United Arab Emirates has become an international hub for business and tourism. This growth has led to a massive influx of foreign workers, who now constitute around 80% of the country’s population, profoundly affecting Emirati society and traditional lifestyles. Historically, many unskilled workers lived in overcrowded, unhealthy conditions in urban centres. To improve their living standards and address related social challenges, authorities established dedicated worker-only residential villages outside major urban areas. This paper examines the concept of Worker Residential Villages (WRCs) in the context of Abu Dhabi and evaluates the applicability of Defensible Space (DS) theory to these settlements. Findings suggest that DS theory does not provide a viable model for worker villages in the UAE due to underlying social and economic constraints, highlighting the complexities of housing solutions in multicultural labour-driven societies.