Staying well
Working in the heat
Summers in the Gulf and many hot countries are hotter than most of us knew at home. Your body can get used to it over a week or two, but heat can still make anyone seriously ill, fast.
Not medical advice. Musafir Health gives general health information only. It cannot diagnose you or tell you which medicine to take. Talk to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist about your own health, and in an emergency call the local emergency number.
Your first weeks
- Your body takes about one to two weeks to get used to working in heat. Go easy at first if you can, and tell your supervisor you are new to the heat.
- New arrivals, people who have been ill and people back from leave are most at risk.
Keep cool at work
- Drink water often, a little at a time, before you feel thirsty. Keep your own bottle with you.
- Rest in the shade or a cool room whenever you can, and take your breaks.
- Wear light, loose clothes that cover your skin, and a hat if you work outside.
- Several Gulf countries ban outdoor work at midday in summer. Your country's labour ministry publishes the dates and hours; ask your employer how they apply to you.
- Watch out for your co-workers too. A person with heat illness may not notice it themselves.
After work and on days off
- Cool down with a cool shower and rest somewhere cool.
- Keep drinking water in the evening. Alcohol and lots of tea, coffee or energy drinks do not replace water.
- If you take regular medicines, ask a pharmacist whether they affect how your body handles heat.
Heat exhaustion: stop and cool down
- Signs: heavy sweating, cold and clammy skin, a fast and weak pulse, cramps, feeling sick or vomiting, tiredness, dizziness, headache or fainting.
- What to do: stop work, move to a cool place, loosen clothes, sip water and put cool wet cloths on the body.
- Get medical help if you vomit, if it gets worse, or if it lasts more than an hour.
Heatstroke is an emergency
Call the local emergency number at once if someone has a high body temperature; hot, red skin (dry or damp); a fast, strong pulse; a headache; confusion or strange behaviour; or passes out.
While you wait: move them to a cooler place and cool them with water, wet cloths or a fan. Do not give drinks to someone who is confused or not fully awake.
Official sources
- CDC: heat-related illnesses, warning signs and what to do
- CDC: extreme heat
- MedlinePlus: heat illness
- World Health Organization: heat and health
Health advice is updated over time. Check the sources above and ask a health professional about your own situation. Last checked November 2026.