In 2019, FAME Lab was commissioned by the International Labour Organization, the Qatar Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, to conduct a study to assess occupational heat strain and mitigation strategies in Qatar. Throughout the summer, we collected data on workers’ physiology and labour effort, covering more than 5,500 work hours. This is the largest ever study of its kind and the first in the region. We examined a construction site with 4,000 workers (a World Cup stadium) with a comprehensive heat stress management plan, and a farm with fewer precautions in place. The research examined different strategies for mitigating heat strain, focusing on hydration, work-rest ratios and clothing.  Recommendations made by the study include adjusting the summertime working hours, mandatory heat stress mitigation plans for all companies across Qatar, annual health checkups for workers, as well as greater worker empowerment. There are also specific recommendations on clothing, access to drinking water and working in shaded areas. A Ministerial Decision announced on 26 May 2021 introduced a significant expansion of summertime working hours during which outdoor work is prohibited.