Abu Dhabi skyline
Remote’s guide to employing in

United Arab Emirates
united-arab-emirates flag}

Make employment in United Arab Emirates easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in United Arab Emirates, all in one easy-to-use platform.

  • Capital City

    Abu Dhabi

  • Currency

    United Arab Emirates dirham (د.إ, AED)

  • Languages

    Arabic

  • Population size

    9,890,400

Services available in this country:
Global Employment ServicesContractor Management

Facts & Stats

United Arab Emirates Map Illustration
  • Capital City

    Abu Dhabi

  • Currency

    United Arab Emirates dirham (د.إ, AED)

  • Languages

    Arabic

  • Population size

    9,890,400

  • Ease of doing business

    Very easy

  • Cost of living index

    61.67 (2021)

  • Payroll frequency

    Monthly

  • VAT - standard rate

    5%

  • GDP - real growth rate

    1.7% (2019)

The United Arab Emirates is an elective monarchy of seven emirates crested on the Arabian peninsula.

Since oil was first discovered in 1958, the nation has rocketed to rapid growth in infrastructure, healthcare, and technology, and a tourism industry that sees over 20 million tourists visiting Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The UAE, particularly Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, are home to a huge population of expats. Some of the world’s most talented professionals call the Emirates home and a significant portion of these workers have experience working with multi-nationals. Global employers will find a haven of talent on this small slice of Arabian land.

Grow your team in United Arab Emirates with Remote

Looking to hire employees in the United Arab Emirates? Companies hiring in the United Arab Emirates must either own a local legal entity or work with a global employment platform like Remote that can legally provide employment services in the country.

Remote can employ team members in the United Arab Emirates and keep you compliant at all times. Remote can hire, onboard, and pay your the United Arab Emirates team so you don't have to set up local HR services in the region. Remote also makes it easy to pay contractors in the United Arab Emirates. Sign up now to get started or talk to an expert for more details.

Risks of misclassification

United Arab Emirates, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in United Arab Emirates may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.

Employing in United Arab Emirates

Provisions for employee protections and workers’ rights are spelled out in the Labour Law of 1980 and the Federal Law No. 24 of 1981. Employees in the United Arab Emirates enjoy protections against discrimination based on age, religion, and race.

Common questions that could come up during the hiring process include the minimum wage, overtime rates, and guaranteed paid time off. Remote can help you offer a complete, competitive, and compliant benefits package to your employees in the United Arab Emirates.

13 Public holidays

Jan
Sunday, January 1, 20231Gregorian New Year
Apr
Thursday, April 20, 20232Eid Al Fitr - Day 1
Friday, April 21, 20233Eid Al Fitr - Day 2
Saturday, April 22, 20234Eid Al Fitr - Day 3
Sunday, April 23, 20235Eid Al Fitr - Day 4
Jun
Tuesday, June 27, 20236Arafah Day
Wednesday, June 28, 20237Eid Al Adha - Day 1
Thursday, June 29, 20238Eid Al Adha - Day 2
Friday, June 30, 20239Eid Al Adha - Day 3
Jul
Friday, July 21, 202310Islamic New Year
Sep
Friday, September 29, 202311Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday
Dec
Saturday, December 2, 202312National Day - Day 1
Sunday, December 3, 202313National Day - Day 2

Competitive benefits package in United Arab Emirates

At Remote, we’re passionate about helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in developing globally competitive benefits programs. This means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive, and your company has the localized expertise to needed attract and keep the best global talent.

Our benefits packages in the United Arab Emirates are tailored to fulfill the local needs of employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:

  • Health Insurance

  • Dental Insurance

  • Vision Insurance

  • Mental Health Support

  • Pension or 401(K)

  • Life and Disability Insurance

Taxes in United Arab Emirates

Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in United Arab Emirates.

  • 12.5%

    Social Security (basic social security plus housing allowance, charged on a minimum monthly salary of 1,000 AED and capped at 50,000 AED, i.e., $13,612.89)

Types of leave

After the first year of employment, employees are entitled to a minimum of 30 days paid annual leave (equal to approximately 22 working days), with allowances to be paid before the vacation commences.

Employment termination

Termination process

Employee contracts can only be terminated according to terms spelled out in the Emirati Labour Law, and the relevant authorities must be informed accordingly.

Notice period

The minimum notice period is 1 month. The statutory maximum notice period is 3 months.

During the probationary period, either party may terminate the employment by giving the other 14 days' notice.

Severance pay

Employees who have been employed for at least a year are entitled to 21 working days’ pay for every year of employment and 30 days’ wages for each additional year, capped at two years’ pay.

Probation periods

Probation of an employee in the United Arab Emirates may not exceed six months.