Abu Dhabi has invested Dh20 billion ($5.4 billion) for the development of 23 labour cities, that will boast new, high-quality apartments, in bid to improve the workers' living standards, said a report.

The land for the labour cities was set aside in 2005 in industrial zones of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, reported The National.

The new cities will offer sports and social activities, parks, markets, mosques, cinemas, internet facilities and cable television for the workers.

They also have health clinics and hospitals, supervised hygiene and food services and security, the report said.

Mubarak Saeed Al Dhahiri, the undersecretary at the Ministry of Labour, said "operation village" would improve the quality of labour accommodations in Al Ain. There are about 160,000 labourers in the Al Ain region.

The workers' city in Al Ain opened in May and accommodates 5,690 residents but could eventually be increased to house more than 10,000. Thousands of labourers will move into these quality apartments next year, the report quoted him as saying.

Abu Dhabi requires workers to be accommodated off-site, rather than on construction sites or in other crowded places with unsanitary conditions, the report added.