Telangana workers in Dubai hit hard by housing crackdown

A crackdown on illegal shared housing in Dubai has pushed many Telangana-origin workers to seek costlier accommodations or move to nearby emirates. With illegal partitions being demolished, rising rents and past fire incidents have triggered serious safety and affordability concerns.

Dubai: A crackdown on illegal housing in Dubai has left many Indian blue-collar workers, particularly from Telangana, grappling with soaring rents and a shortage of affordable accommodation.

Dubai, the most expensive city in the Middle East, is home to one of the largest expatriate communities from Telangana.

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With municipal authorities intensifying inspections against unauthorised room partitions and bed spaces, workers living in shared accommodations are being forced to relocate to neighbouring emirates where rents are comparatively lower.

Due to high demand and limited supply in Dubai’s prime areas, many low-wage earners resort to shared housing. It’s common for workers to rent bed spaces in rooms or even corridors through illegal sub-leasing arrangements.

Illegal partitions typically involve makeshift wooden or non-fire-rated gypsum board dividers installed without municipal approval in bedrooms, living rooms, or balconies—meant to accommodate more tenants but in violation of Dubai’s building safety norms.

Most Telangana workers in Dubai live in areas such as Satwa, Rigga, Karama, Bur Dubai, Barsha and Muraqqabat—densely populated neighbourhoods where cramped shared accommodations are common.

“I was living in shared accommodation for several years. Now, I’ve had to move to proper housing which is four times more expensive,” said N Ajay, a Hyderabadi worker in Dubai.

Ajay, who previously shared space with eight others in a unit meant for two, added, “Many evicted tenants understand and respect the government’s effort to ensure better living conditions and reduce health and safety risks.”

The crackdown follows growing concerns over fire hazards in illegally partitioned residences. In 2007, ten Telangana workers were killed in a fire at a shared accommodation in central Dubai. Reports indicate most fire-related incidents in the city occur in congested living quarters.