A Pakistani delivery worker poses for a photo during a break to cool down in central Riyadh on July 19, 2024. Workers in Arab states face some of the highest exposure to heat stress in the world, with 83.6 percent suffering from excessive heat exposure on the job, according to a recent report from the International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency.
Agence France-Presse RIYADH — Sheltering under a palm tree in Saudi Arabia’s capital, a Pakistani delivery driver stole a quick break during the lunch rush when orders — and scorching temperatures — are at their peak. Gulping a bottle of cold water as the mercury neared 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), the motorcycle driver said he was well aware the Gulf kingdom’s harsh summer heat could be fatal. Yet only by pushing through and filling the daily blitz of food orders will he earn enough money to send something back home, his main reason for coming to Saudi Arabia in the first place.
READ: Hajj pilgrimage ends amid deadly Saudi heat spike “The heat is intense and the sun is deadly. I always feel tired and exhausted,” the 26-year-old said, asking to be identified only as Mohammed to avoid reprisal from authorities or his employer. “But it is a good job for me and my family,” added the father of two small children who live in Pakistan.
Sprawling Saudi Arabia, already one of the world’s hottest countries, faces rising threats from high temperatures attributed to climate change. READ: ‘Torr.