Summary
Such heat can make working nearly unbearable – or even deadly – for the Gulf's legions of migrant construction workers.
But simple cooling vests, tweaked for use in the region by a University of Toronto student, could help save lives as climate change brings increasing summer heat.
An early version of the vests was tested in Qatar last year and this summer in Dubai by global contractor Multiplex, which has 200 of its workers wearing them.
After using the vests for about three months this summer, most of the workers reported feeling cooler and having more energy, Smith said.
Migrant workers have complained that heat exhaustion and dehydration are a significant risk while working in summer heat.
If significant orders come in, the vests can be sold for about $20 each, Sheikh said.
Sheikh hopes the cooling vests will be adopted by more contractors in the Gulf – at least until researchers develop more sophisticated ways to protect people from heat.
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