Fearless UAE window cleaners look forward to the views

Not everyone is scared of heights, says a cleaner who has washed the windows of the Burj Khalifa.

Level-3 supervisor Waheed Abdul, 34, of Pakistan, prepares to have his crew wash windows at Gate Towers on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // It is a question that is inevitably asked of all skyscraper window washers: are you afraid of heights?

Considering he has washed the windows of the world’s tallest free-standing structure – Dubai’s Burj Khalifa – Waheed Abdul, 34, scoffs at the question.

For Mr Abdul, a father of three children from Lahore, Pakistan, the challenge lies in explaining his occupation to his wife.

“Sometimes she asks if this job is too dangerous,” he said.

“With heights, some people are scared and some people are happy.”

Mohammed Sharif, 23, from Hyderabad, India, said he took on the job of window cleaner because it was a good opportunity.

“I have to work to support the family,” he said. But he said he was “never” scared.

Mr Sharif sends photos home to give his wife a better idea of his line of work.

Kishan Barigee, 22, also from Hyderabad, said: “I was never scared, not even as a little boy. We’re always focused on the job.”

In the early hours of the morning, both men prepared their ropes ready to descend from the top of the 65-storey Gate Towers on Reem Island.

Despite the heat and hours of toil, Mr Barigee said he always has something to look forward to – the best views of Abu Dhabi.

“It’s very nice,” he said.

______________________________________________________________

Read more about the UAE’s window washers:

■ Life on a wire for UAE skyscraper window washers

■ Safety a priority for UAE window washing company

■ UAE window washers sometimes see more than a nice view

■ Don't look down: The high-rise window washers of Reem Island - in pictures