They work in an area where no people live; do they have to pray Jumu’ah?
Question

                We are a group of men working far away from our homes and families, in a place where there are no people living, and no buildings or mosques. The time we spend at work is equal to the time we spend in our homes, i.e., we work for 28 days in return for 28 days off. This continues all year round, and we work for 12 hours each day.

 What about holding Jumu’ah prayers in this place – is it obligatory or not?.
Praise be to Allah.
    It is not obligatory to pray Jumu’ah in this place, rather 
    you should pray Zuhr, because you are not permanent residents there and 
    there are no permanent residents with whom you can pray Jumu’ah. 

    The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked about some 
    people who left the city to work in agriculture, and they stayed there for 
    as long as the work lasted, no less than two to four months each year. It is 
    difficult for them to go back to the city to pray Jumu’ah whilst they are 
    working. Is Jumu’ah prayer obligatory for them? Is it permissible for them 
    to hold Jumu’ah prayers in their work place or not, or do they have to go to 
    the city even though that is difficult for them? Or is it waived in their 
    case as it is for travellers? What is the length of time in the workplace at 
    which Jumu’ah is waived for them? 

    They replied: 

    If the farms on which they work are permanently inhabited, 
    then they have to pray Jumu’ah, with the permanent residents. They can pray 
    with them or with others with whom it is easy for them to pray Jumu’ah, 
    because of the general meaning of the evidence which indicates that Jumu’ah 
    is obligatory and it is obligatory to make the effort to attend Jumu’ah 
    prayers. 

    If those who work on these farms can hear the adhaan for 
    Jumu’ah from their village or from another village near their farms, then 
    they must go and pray with the congregation (jamaa’ah) of the Muslims, 
    because of the general meaning of the verse in which Allaah says 
    (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “O you who believe 
    (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaah (prayer) on Friday 
    (Jumu‘ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu‘ah religious talk 
    (Khutbah) and Salaah (prayer)]”

    [al-Jumu’ah 63:9]
If there are no permanent 
    residents on these farms and they cannot hear the adhaan for Jumu’ah from 
    the village that is near their farm, they do not have to pray Jumu’ah but 
    they should pray Zuhr in congregation. 

    There were tribes and farms in the al-‘Awaali districts 
    around Madeenah at the time of the Prophet  (peace and blessings of 
    Allaah be upon him), and he did not command the people there to come to 
    Jumu’ah prayers. If he had, that would have been narrated. This indicates 
    that it is not obligatory for such people because of the hardship involved. 

    Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah li’l-Buhooth al-‘Ilmiyyah 
    wa’l-Ifta’, 8/221, 222 

    And they  also said: 
If the company for which 
    you are working is not in a place where Jumu’ah prayers are held or near 
    such a place, and there are no permanent residents in the company for whom 
    Jumu’ah is obligatory, you do not have to offer Jumu’ah prayers, rather you 
    have to pray Zuhr. But if the company is in a place where Jumu’ah prayers 
    are held or near such a place and you can hear the adhaan, or there are 
    permanent residents for whom Jumu’ah is obligatory, then you have to pray 
    Jumu’ah with the permanent residents of that place or company. 

    Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 
    8/220. 
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may 
    Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about some students living away from 
    home and the ruling on holding Jumu’ah prayers in foreign lands. He 
    replied: 

    The scholars have stated that you and people like you do not 
    have to hold Friday prayers, and there is some dispute as to whether Friday 
    prayers offered by you are valid. Rather what you have to do is to pray 
    Zuhr, because you are more akin to travellers and those who live in the 
    desert. Jumu’ah is only obligatory for permanent residents. The evidence for 
    that is the fact that the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be 
    upon him) did not command travellers or those living in the desert to pray 
    Jumu’ah, and he  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do 
    that when he was travelling, and neither did his companions (may Allaah be 
    pleased with them). It is proven in the saheeh ahaadeeth that during the 
    Farewell Pilgrimage the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
    him) prayed Zuhr in ‘Arafah on a Friday; he did not pray Jumu’ah or command 
    the pilgrims to do so, because they came under the ruling on travellers. I 
    do not know of any differing opinion among the scholars of Islam regarding 
    this matter, praise be to Allaah, apart from some odd views among some of 
    the Taabi’een, with which we need not concern ourselves. 

    But if there are some permanent Muslim residents who pray 
    Jumu’ah there, then it is prescribed in sharee’ah for you and others like 
    you who are staying in that place temporarily in order to seek knowledge, do 
    business, etc, to pray with them so that you may attain the virtue of 
    praying Jumu’ah. Some the scholars have stated that it is obligatory for the 
    traveller to join the permanent residents if he stays in a place where 
    Jumu’ah prayers are held and his stay exceeds the period during which 
    shortening the prayers is allowed. 

    Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 12/377.