Catherwood LibraryILR School

On the outskirts of Dubai, the booming business capital of the United Arab Emirates, countless unfinished skyscrapers topped with cranes rise from the desert terrain and new roads and buildings seem to spring up daily. Maintaining the pace of development is the government's top priority. But on Oct. 28, thousands of building workers interrupted Dubai's progress by going on strike for two days, hurling stones at police cars and demanding higher pay. This strike followed two smaller incidents this summer and a large stoppage in March, during which workers blocked traffic on one of Dubai's main roads and ransacked the offices of Burj Dubai, which will be the world's tallest building when it is completed, some time in late 2008. But last week's strike had a different aim. Previously, strikers had called for better working conditions; now, their main demand is an increase in wages.