Agnes Montanari, photographer

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Satwa, Dubai last terminal { 25 images } Created 14 Oct 2010

Five minutes from the prestigious Sheikh Zayed Avenue, Satwa, the oldest and only characteristic district of Dubai, is due to be razed and replaced by a beautiful garden- city, a 350 billion dirham (1.4 billion euros) project.

With its narrow streets and low houses, Satwa is the district to which converge, to find a home, most construction workers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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  • The area of Satwa, five minutes away from Sheikh Zayed prestigious street, is marked for razing. It is going to be replaced by Jumeirah Gardens City, a Dhrs 350 billion project.
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  • With its narrow streets, low buildings and houses, Satwa is the place where most of Dubai construction workers live. They come from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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  • Arrived few years ago or only few months ago, they all converge to Satwa to find a place where to live, une maison, as it is the cheapest area of Dubai.
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  • In Satwa, the idea of a home is reduced to renting a bed space for an average of 500 Drhs a month (200 euros).
    am-satwa-04.JPG
  • Up to 100 people may share the same house or "working camp" as its inhabitants call it.
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  • One single room can contain up to 14 bed spaces which easily become 20 when counting the "floor spaces".
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  • The smallest available space is used for washing, eating, and sleeping as well as a meeting place.
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  • The smallest available space is used for washing, eating, sleeping, meeting, and also becomes a TV room .
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  • These men come from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh to work on Dubai multiple construction sites for a monthly basic salary of 800 Drhs (320 euros).
    am-satwa-09.JPG
  • Their families have stayed behind. The luckiest ones will go home every year but most of them can only afford to go back once every two years.
    am-satwa-10.JPG
  • A bed space is not a space to put a bed but an empty bed, often only a wooden plate without mattress, or even a space on the floor of an overcrowded room.
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  • Getting ready to go to work in the morning implies starting early so to be able to queue up for the only shower available.
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  • Communal kitchen where workers take turn to prepare their meals.
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  • Communal kitchen where workers take turn to prepare their meals.
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  • Bedroom, meeting room, dining room and prayer room all in one to share with another 8 to 10 men.
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  • Evening prayer in an angle of Satwa. In the background, a glimpse of what this area is due to become: a high-tech, postmodern city without a soul.
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  • A 24 hours super-market owned by an Indian family. Some of these immigrants have managed to establish themselves in Dubai and do not consider returning home.
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  • Some of the inhabitants who arrived a long time ago, have managed to start small businesses which have contributed to improve their every day income.
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  • Small businesses, even if not demolished, will be affected by the bulldozing that has already started in the area . They will most probably loose their customers.
    am-satwa-19.JPG
  • Already started, the demolition has forced people to leave the area and look for bed spaces in other more expensive parts of the city.
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  • 7 am. Workers are gathered on the main square of Satwa. They are waiting to be hired for the day.
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  • A few months ago, most of them would find work. Now only 40-50 out of 100 people will be hired as a certain number of projects have been delayed due to the financial crisis.
    am-satwa-22.JPG
  • A medical examination which includes a blood test and an x-ray is necessary to obtain a visa on top of the borrowed 12,000 Drhs (4,800 euros) already disbursed. They feel they cannot go back home as long as they haven't reimburse this amount.
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  • A bus takes the workers to the construction site. They will come back to Satwa 10 hours later, having earned the equivalent of 12 euros.
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  • "No work today so I will eat a little and then go to bed" says Otul. When asked whether he can still send money home, the answer comes up as an evidence: "I have to manage otherwise, what am I here for?".
    am-satwa-25.JPG