Saudi delivery drivers bake in 'deadly' summer heat

Mercury neared 50 degrees Celsius

FE Team | Published: August 07, 2024 22:19:54

RIYADH, Aug 07 (AFP): 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.
"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.
Its scorching summers could become longer and hotter as the planet warms, experts warn.
The risks were on display in June, when more than 1,300 people died while performing the annual Muslim hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, according to an official tally-most of them unauthorised pilgrims exposed to long periods outdoors.
To protect labourers, Saudi Arabia bans work under direct sunlight and in open-air areas between noon and 3:00 pm from mid-June until mid-September as part of a longstanding "midday break" policy widely adopted across the Gulf.
But Mohammed and other drivers, many of whom use motorcycles rather than cars and so are exposed to the heat, told AFP they felt pressure to work during these busy hours to meet their targets.
"The work is very hard, but I have no other choice," Mohammed said, sweating profusely under the long-sleeve rash guard that protects him from the sun.