In the private sector, especially with large multinational companies, workplace design and layout tends to be traditional, i.e., private offices with large wood desks with full fronts and large leather chairs that make it clear who makes the decisions. Western-educated designers create work environments with access to windows. Workers who are not managers sit in work areas with low panels so they have access to natural light. Installations will often have the same footprint from floor to floor with very few changes. Dubai is just beginning to use open floor plans but the plans still include lots of workstation walls. It’s unlikely that the owner will ever sit with the general population, says Stallings. Often, Western organizations setting up offices in Dubai will follow typical corporate standards but will incorporate (in addition to prayer rooms) accents of local style, such as Arabic fretwork, a closeable canteen area for privacy during Ramadan, and modesty panels at the front and sides of a workstation.
Primary design considerations are the cost of real estate and the construction budget, rather than job function or technology support, which tend to be an afterthought except in global companies. Furthermore, local companies and the private sector don’t think in terms of ergonomic needs. “That’s not part of the design process,” says Stallings, unless the decision-maker is a high-level manager who has been educated in the west or has been otherwise exposed to the field of ergonomics.8 There’s an economic reason many ergonomic tools used in North America are not used much in Dubai. Income earned in the Middle East is tax-free. The city is full of workers who’ve come to make more money than they can in their own countries. When they have enough saved to start their own businesses back home or when they get tired of being separated from their families, they leave. Owners aren’t very motivated to invest in an employee they know will be moving on soon.
In addition, there’s no such thing as worker’s compensation in Dubai, so there’s no incentive for an employer to try to make sure the employee doesn’t develop back pain or a repetitive stress injury. The predominant employer attitude is “payment for Culture and Work Styles in Dubai Research Summary / 6 Z services.” If the worker isn’t delivering, then the company doesn’t feel any obligation to keep him or her on the payroll. The Dubai offices of multinational companies, which also generally follow local labor laws and regulations, may see things the same way.
Technology use is intermittent but growing rapidly. Office workers may have a smart phone or mobile device. There is internet access at work, but many companies will block certain sites, and non-managerial employees may be given e-mail accounts but not browsing capabilities. Unlike multinationals doing business in Dubai, local businesses don’t typically have internet or intranet sites. The large number of youth in the region and the rapid economic development may speed the rate of acceptance of technology.
