UAE to open 6,000 air-conditioned delivery rider rest areas

Image credit: Dominika Zarzycka/ Getty Images

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) said it will open 6,000 air-conditioned areas for delivery riders across the UAE in collaboration with government entities and private sector companies.

Delivery bikers will be given interactive maps to help them easily locate and access the rest stations during the midday break, which takes place from June 15 to September 15, MoHRE said in a social media post on X.

The initiative, in its second year, is part of MoHRE’s broader strategy to ensure the health and safety of delivery riders while providing them with a “safe working environment”.

“Delivery services are a key logistical sector, unique in nature, given that its workers do not stay in one place while the Midday Break is enforced, and due to the nature of certain materials being transported that need to be delivered on time,” MoHRE said in a statement.

The ministry said it is collaborating with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, the Integrated Transport Centre in Abu Dhabi, the departments of economic development in the UAE and delivery companies including Talabat and Deliveroo.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has announced the allocation of 6,000 rest stations for delivery workers across the UAE during the Midday Break, as part of our commitment to protect workers from heat exhaustion during summer, and in partnership with… pic.twitter.com/aWO0s4y0h9

— وزارة الموارد البشرية والتوطين (@MOHRE_UAE) June 7, 2024

MoHRE said restaurants, shopping centres, retail stores, and cloud kitchens in the UAE will also offer rest areas for delivery riders. The initiative marks a significant increase in the number of delivery rider rest stations from just 356 in 2023.

The nationwide midday break bans outdoor work between 12:30pm and 3pm. It requires employers to provide parasols and shaded areas to protect workers from direct sunlight, adequate cooling devices, sufficient cold drinking water, hydrating materials such as salts, and first aid equipment at job sites.

The ministry urged the public to report any breaches of the midday break by calling 600 590 000.

Read: RTA to build 40 new air-conditioned delivery rider rest areas