Stress Management for Migrant Workers Amid UAE Tensions

Dubai Dispatch: For laborers in Dubai, a free stress-management class offers temporary relief from struggles involving debt, loneliness, extensive work hours, and the recent fear of missile strikes.

Laxmi Parekh has been conducting mental health workshops for Dubai’s migrant workforce over the past two years. Recently, she incorporated discussions about regional conflicts into her lessons.

Reported by Mansi Choksi from Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Published on June 3, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. ET

On a Sunday morning, Laxmi Parekh addressed a group of painters, carpenters, and electricians in a cafeteria of a Dubai housing compound. Her mission was teaching them stress management.

Laxmi Parekh, 59, asked the audience, “Who knows what’s been going on here for the past 43 days?”

Someone responded from the front, mentioning the “war situation.” Since the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran began on February 28, Iran has targeted the United Arab Emirates with more missiles and drones than any other nation. This resulted in at least 10 civilian casualties and 230 injuries, according to the UAE’s defense ministry. Migrant workers have been most affected, much like those gathered around steel plates and clanking spoons as Ms. Parekh spoke.

For the past two years, Ms. Parekh has conducted weekly workshops focused on mental health in migrant-worker dormitories throughout Dubai. She volunteers outside her I.T. professional job, contributing to SmartLife, a nonprofit offering free English lessons, mentorships, and community activities. The organization receives financial support from worker-employing companies and money transfer firms.

As March saw intensified regional conflict, Ms. Parekh adapted her sessions to include discussions about it.

She questioned around 40 men from India, Pakistan, and Nepal, “How many of you are scared?”