DUBAI, Nov 7: The prime minister of United Arab Emirates ordered a host of reforms on Tuesday to improve the conditions of guest workers following international criticism.

The reforms ordered by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum include establishing a labour court, setting fixed working hours for domestic help and regulating the contracts of guest workers in the Gulf state.

A statement issued after a meeting with Labour Minister Ali bin Abdullah al-Kaabi said Sheikh Mohammed ordered the creation of a watchdog to monitor the conditions of the country's large foreign workforce.

The reforms also seek to improve the living conditions of labourers and increase safety standards in their workplaces.

Foreigners, including labourers and middle and high-income executives, make up over 85 percent of the 4 million population.

Human rights groups have accused the government of the OPEC oil producer of turning a blind eye to the non-payment of wages, lack of medical care and sub-standard housing for workers who form the backbone of an economy lifted by high oil prices.

Sheikh Mohammed, also ruler of the emirate of Dubai, ordered that all workers should be covered by health insurance schemes and required the labour ministry to create a mechanism to prevent delays in wage payments.

The statement said Sheikh Mohammed warned those who abuse labourers of “legal action that would act as a deterrent”, but did not elaborate.

The United States, which is negotiating a free trade pact with the UAE, is pressing the Gulf state to apply international standards to its workforce.

The UAE has vowed to set up unions for workers, penalise firms that do not pay employees on time and crack down on abuse.

But it also threatened to deport workers who start protests.

Dubai, the Gulf's tourism and trade hub, is undergoing a huge building boom. Employers are often accused of failing to pay promised wages to building workers, and strikes and sometimes violent protests have erupted.—AFP