The UAE government has been defending the investor friendly business environment that is stimulating the construction industry in the country. Addressing the government’s regulations within the construction sector, Ali bin Abdullah al-Kaabi, the minister of labor, said that that the labor cost in the country, including accommodation costs, fees and salaries, does not exceed 14% of the total amount of money allocated for any project. He also pointed out that these labor fees were among the lowest in the world and defended the record of the government on granting licenses for foreign laborers to contracting companies. He asserted that the UAE had only rejected 10% of the 700,000 applications by companies to bring foreign laborers to the country. Al Kaabi also suggested that these rejections were largely because the companies had failed to provide accommodation for the laborers they sought to bring to the country. A balanced approach The government