Despite allegations of migrant workers labouring in poor working conditions during the first phase of construction of Oman’s Yiti Project, the Trump Organization has partnered with Dar Al Arkan and its London-based subsidiary DarGlobal, to construct a hotel and golf complex in the second phase of the project, on the ‘Aida’ site.

According to the NY Times, the first phase of the Yiti Project’s construction entailed the following labour rights violations of migrant workers:

• Poor occupational health and safety, with workers labouring in temperatures ‘routinely’ above 100 degrees Fahrenheit;
• Unreasonable working hours and leisure time, with workers labouring “from dawn until dusk” in 10-hour shifts;
• Poor living conditions, with workers allegedly ‘living in compounds’ in ‘cramped’ trailers; and,
• Low wages, with workers paid as little as $340 a month.

Migrant workers constructing the first phase are from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, and number in their thousands. Work on the roads to the Aida site is just beginning.

Dar Al Arkan was selected by the Oman Government to run the second phase of the project; under the terms of the agreement between the Trump Organization and Dar Al Arkan’s subsidiary, DarGlobal, the Trump Organization will design the hotel and golf complex, which will be Trump branded, and will be paid to manage them for 30 years. The hotel will be marketed under the name Trump International Hotel Oman. Dar Oman will design, construct, and furnish the hotel and will pay for the project. The Trump organization has allegedly already brought in around USD5 million from the deal.

We asked DarGlobal, Dar Al Arkan, and the Trump Organization to respond to concerns for possible labour rights abuse, and to outline how they will ensure labour rights violations do not take place during the construction of the hotel and golf complex. None of the companies responded.