Chaos and Challenges at Dubai's OFW Event

Overcrowding and Frustration at Dubai's OFW Serbisyo Caravan Event

The Dubai World Trade Centre hosted an event on August 3rd, aimed initially at supporting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The initiative, named Serbisyo Caravan, was organized by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and aimed to provide various government services, including legal assistance, financial advice, and contract verification, at a single location.

Contrary to initial expectations, the event did not feature smooth service but was instead marked by long waiting lines, a lack of information, and overcrowding, which led to significant frustration among participants.

Expectations and Confusion – What Was the Experience?

Although the event was supposed to run from 8 AM to 6 PM, many attendees arrived before the opening to avoid the crowd. One participant reported that by 8:30 AM, long lines had already snaked around the building. Many wandered aimlessly among the crowd, as there were no signages or personnel to guide the arrivals.

Another account noted that visitors waited for hours in the sweltering hallways, standing almost motionlessly in queues. Several participants spent over 10 hours on site before managing to complete their tasks.

What Led to the Chaos?

Originally, the event anticipated 2,000 attendees, but nearly 6,000 people showed up at the venue. Several factors contributed to the overwhelming turnout:

There was no mandatory pre-registration because organizers, based on experience from previous events, believed many registrants would not show up.

Extensive online promotion generated significant organic interest.

All services were conducted in a single space, further increasing congestion.

Though organizers attempted impromptu measures, working together with the Dubai World Trade Centre, Community Development Authority, and Dubai Police personnel, onsite management was only able to handle the situation to a limited extent.

Some Left Satisfied

Not everyone faced difficulties. Those who arrived early in the morning or navigated the venue efficiently completed their purposes relatively quickly. One participant mentioned arriving at 6 AM, gaining entry at the front of the line, and successfully registering with the OWWA and verifying their contract without issues.

This highlights that proper planning and timing could have helped the event achieve its original goal: convenient and speedy transactions.

What Are the Lessons and Future Steps?

The DMW acknowledged the mistakes and committed to requiring advance registration for future participation, limiting the number of transactions per day, and considering the possibility of multi-day or multi-location events. The next event is expected to take place in Abu Dhabi over an extended period.

Despite the disorganization causing disappointment for many, a total of 5,742 people received services, with 11,383 transactions completed – demonstrating the immense need for such initiatives and the necessity for professional execution.

(Source of the article: Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) organized event.)