Either the employer or the employee may terminate the employment contract for any legitimate reason by providing at least 30 days' notice, but no more than 90 days' notice, in writing. The employee will continue to work during the notice period and be entitled to their normal wages upon completion of the period.
The employer and employee may agree to waive the notice period, but the employee must maintain all of his rights. If the duration of the notice period is shortened, it must be the same for both parties or more favorable to the employee. The party (employer or employee) that did not abide by the notice period must pay the other party compensation equal to the employee's wage for the full notice period or the remaining time.
If the employer terminates the employment contract, the employee shall have the right to be absent during the notice period for 1 working day without pay per week to search for another job. They must notify the employer at least 3 days before the absence day.
Work permits in the UAE are issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). Employers must obtain a valid work permit before hiring any employee and submit an application supported by a signed employment contract.
MoHRE offers multiple permit types depending on the employment arrangement. The most common include:
To obtain a work permit:
Private sector companies with 50 or more employees must reach an overall Emiratisation rate of 10% of skilled positions by December 31, 2026.
"False Emiratisation" refers to employers misleading authorities about the number of Emiratis (UAE nationals) they've hired. This practice is illegal. If caught, employers face fines that increase based on the number of employees affected.
Employers who hire employees who are not authorized to work for them or use work permits for a purpose other than that for which they were issued can also be penalized with a fine of no less than AED 100,000 and no more than AED 1 million.
According to the Labor Law of the United Arab Emirates, an employee is entitled to annual leave with full pay, which accrues as follows:
Part-time employees are entitled to annual leave in accordance with the actual working hours and subject to a minimum of 5 working days per year.
According to the Labour Law of the United Arab Emirates, the standard limit is 48 hours per week or 8 hours per day. Separately, outdoor work under the sun is prohibited between 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM from June 15 to September 15.
Employees under 18 are prohibited from working more than 6 hours a day.
In the United Arab Emirates, the law provides 60 days of paid maternity leave to female employees starting from the delivery date. The leave is paid with full salary for the first 45 days and half pay for the remaining 15 days.
If the female employee gives birth to a sick or disabled child, the employee is entitled to an additional 30 days of maternity leave with full pay, starting at the end of maternity leave, with the option for an additional 30 days without pay.
Emirati citizens working in the private sector are subject to a formal minimum salary requirement, while non-Emirati workers are not covered by a statutory minimum wage. For non-Emiratis, pay levels are determined by individual employment contracts and general labour law requirements, rather than by a fixed legal wage floor. This difference is not considered discriminatory.
Private employers must pay Emirati nationals at least AED 6,000 (UAE dirham) per month beginning January 1, 2026, with existing contracts needing adjustment by June 30, 2026.
Employee salaries can be paid using currencies other than AED. Dubai Court of First Instance ruled in August 2024 that a part of an employee's salary can be paid in cryptocurrency without requiring it to be converted into national currency, as determined by the employment contract. Depending on the agreement between employer and employee, salaries can be paid monthly or more frequently. Salaries must be paid monthly if the contract does not specify the pay period and must be transferred through the Wage Protection System (WPS). An establishment is treated as compliant where at least 85% of the total wages due are transferred on time.
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