Rima Sabban

Maids Crossing: Domestic Workers in the Uae Rima Sabban

This publication was the first academic inquiry into the reality of domestic work in the UAE in the English language, and is still considered the groundwork in debates relating to the issue. For a decade and a half, it has been a solid reference on the treatment of domestic workers in the UAE and the region. It has been quoted by academics, students, activists, and international agencies studying migration in the Gulf region, and the UAE in particular. It narrates the stories of domestic workers as a migration tale that included all aspects of migration, from the time they first thought of migrating until the time they were interviewed. The inquiry served as a lens into the process in which they had engaged themselves: the role of their families, their life conditions, government, friends and so on. The investigation also touched on their work conditions, hours of work, wages, living conditions, treatment by different members in the household (males, females and children), abuse, benefits and all aspects of domestic work they were engaged in, including their perception and previous experience of domestic work, preferences, and so on.