Drawing Dreams in the Dust
Planning a Workers’ Centre in Dhulayl

Approximately 20,000 factory workers live in and around the Ad-Dhulayl industrial zone in Jordan, many of whom are migrant workers. Workers perceive acute lack of safety in the industrial zone and its surrounding residential districts. The lack of safe public space in the area deprives factory workers and local inhabitants of opportunities for socialising, exercising, or relaxation; exacerbating social isolation, mental stress and bodily ill-health. To contribute to on-going discussions between industry stakeholders to create a Workers’ Centre that provides a safe space for workers to relax, air grievances, and seek support, we invited workers from Jordan, Syria, Bangladesh and Nepal to participate in planning workshops for a local community centre in May 2025. Drawing Dreams in the Dust presents the outcomes of these workshops: workers’ own imaginaries of a Workers’ Centre for Dhulayl.