The prime minister of the United Arab Emirates ordered sweeping measures to protect the rights of thousands of foreign laborers working in the UAE, most of them from south Asia.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum ordered Labor Minister Ali al-Kaabi to "take all necessary steps to organize the affairs of foreign workers ... and to assure them of all the conditions of health, security and a dignified life, both in their places of residence and at work," the official WAM news agency reported.

The measures would include the adoption of a system of health insurance for all categories of workers "guaranteeing them care and all the health and medical benefits equivalent to other sectors of society," WAM said.

Sheikh Mohammed is also emir of booming Dubai, the scene of several protests by disgruntled foreign laborers, particularly over unpaid wages.

He called for an "efficient and binding mechanism" to ensure that workers receive their wages with a delay of no more than two months and to change jobs if they wish.

He also ordered the creation of a special court for worker complaints and of an inspectorate to monitor "application of humanitarian laws and regulations in force in the emirates, as well as the protection and defense of the rights and dignity of foreign workers."

Unionizing, collective bargaining and protesting are banned in the UAE, with authorities warning they will prosecute and deport all those who demonstrate even over unpaid wages.

Dubai, the UAE's fastest growing emirate, has been in the spotlight over abusive labor practices following violent riots in March and April by thousands of Asian construction workers at two high-profile building sites to demand better pay and living conditions.

Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers mostly from India and Pakistan toil on Dubai's massive construction projects for as little as 600 dirhams (165 dollars) a month and live in special labor camps.

Some are exploited by their employers or labor supply companies that hire them out to subcontractors involved in city projects, according to the Dubai-based Indian Community Welfare Committee.

The UAE's current labor laws stipulate a minimum wage requirement of 3,000 dirhams (815 dollars) only for the country's nationals, who make up a tiny part of the workforce.

Indian workers represent some 50 percent of the UAE's private sector labor force, while Pakistani and Bangladeshi nationals represent 18 percent and six percent respectively, giving the three countries 74 percent of the total labor force.

Arab workers meanwhile made up between 15-16 percent of the force, which includes some 202 nationalities, according to official figures released in August.