Indian workers in the UAE have substantially improved the living conditions of their families back home, according to a recent study by the US-based Centre for Global Development.

Published in the Al-Amal magazine by the Ministry of Labour, the study targeted Indian labourers living and working in the UAE, and was supported by the ministry. The study examined a total of 3,000 families, and looked at workers in the UAE construction sector, according to state news agency WAM.

The research found that Indians who came to work in the UAE before the financial crisis of 2008 had better opportunities than those who came after. Additionally, it showed that those who had found jobs in the UAE earned two and a half times more than their counterparts back home.

The Centre for Global Development study disputes the idea that the families of workers in the UAE rely completely on that income. Instead, other family members often work to supplement the money coming in from abroad, the study found. 

The UAE government-endorsed study follows a series of claims of alleged mistreatment of workers in the UAE, particularly in the construction and domestic-help sectors.

Media reports last year highlighted alleged worker abuse in several projects in the country. A recently released report by the Human Rights Watch also slams UAE employers for ill-treating expatriate workers – accusations the government strongly denies.