Delivery riders across the UAE hold the right to decline work during the hottest stretch of the day, labour authorities have confirmed, ruling out any pressure from employers to keep operating through the summer midday pause.
According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), whether a rider stays on the road between 12:30pm and 3pm is a matter left to the worker, settled together with the employer. Firms hold no authority to demand that riders continue during those restricted hours.
MoHRE has singled out delivery work for its own set of protections, noting that the job keeps workers in near-constant motion instead of at a single location, and that a large share of orders carry goods that cannot wait. To help riders find relief, the nearest cooling point can be pinned through interactive maps built into their delivery apps.
Those maps now lead to a far larger network. The ministry has rolled out over 12,000 air-conditioned rest stations stocked with basic amenities, spread across the country and open to delivery workers throughout the heat protection window that stretches from 15 June to 15 September.
Now running for a fourth year in a row, the programme sits within a broader push to shield workers from heat stress and to raise occupational safety standards in fields that depend on outdoor labour.
Building the network drew in a mix of government bodies and private firms. Among the partners are Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, Abu Dhabi Mobility, economic departments in the various emirates, Emirates General Petroleum Corporation (Emarat), and leading delivery platforms including Talabat, Deliveroo, Noon, Careem and Keeta. Restaurants, malls, retail shops and cloud kitchens have signed on as well.
