The UAE Government launched new laws that enable workers to move freely between employers. It also reevaluated every aspect of working in the country from recruitment to housing. Reforms are made to ensure that all workers are treated respectfully and able to report instances of maltreatment easily.
You can check the links below for reforms and eServices related to labour and work conditions:
The UAE has introduced a new standard employment contract and requested the employers to abide by fully. This contract is mandatory to finalise the employment procedures and it applies to workers coming from outside and those residing in the UAE, as well.
Upon selecting a candidate to fill a job vacant, an employment offer will be issued by the employer. The offer must conform to the standard employment contract and it must duly signed by both the employer and employee.
The offer letter is registered with Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and at that point, an employer can apply for an employment visa for the employee.
The ministry further stipulates that no new clauses may be added to the standard employment contract unless they:
The offer is available in Arabic and English, plus a third language of the labourer's choice from the following:
The UAE enjoys an overall economic stability, which has led to a large scale of job opportunities for local and foreign workers. In 2017, the UAE-based foreign workers remitted AED 164.3 billion to their home countries. The money directly benefits some of the world's poorest communities, thus raising the standards of living of the people in the recipient countries.
The UAE's gross domestic product at current prices is estimated to be AED 1280.8 billion by the end of 2016 (PDF).
In November 2013, the United Arab Emirates was nominated to host the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. The Expo is estimated to create 275,000 jobs and cater various sectors including tourism, aviation and infrastructure.The 'Green Growth Strategy' launched in 2012, seeks to enhance the country's competitiveness and the sustainability of its development. The strategy presented six focus areas:
In 2015, the UAE government injected AED300 billion to foster a knowledge economy, driven by innovation to prepare the UAE for a world after oil.
In addition, the UAE has developed several strategies such as Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 and Dubai Plan 2021 to diversify its national income based on a sustainable and knowledge-based economy.
Read about the UAE's strategies and plans.
Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, known before as Ministry of Labour is responsible for overseeing the employer-employee relations and maintaining labour rights for the private sector.
In order to ensure a decent work and economic growth, the UAE made enormous efforts including laws, policies and awareness campaigns to enhance work condition for employees of the public sector, private sector and free zones. Some of these efforts are:
Read about
Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations in the Private Sector, known as the ‘UAE Labour law’, governs the employer-employee relations in the private sector. The provisions of the law apply to all businesses, employees and employers in the private sector. The new law aims to protect both parties in the employment relationship and enables them to obtain their rights in a balanced manner. It covers matters related to working hours, overtime, leaves, vacation and public holidays, employing juveniles, employee records, safety standards, minimum wage, termination of employment, end of service gratuity payments, work injuries amongst others.
Several laws and ministerial decrees are in place to ensure safety of workers in the UAE by imposing environment, health and safety standards and fines on offenders. Read about health and safety at workplace and protection of workers' rights.
Find digital services for immigrant workers.
Useful links
Read more about the sustainable development goal 'Decent work and economic growth'.
30 Dec 2024
