Employ and run payroll with ease 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.

Services available in this country:
Employer of Record ProductContractor ManagementPayroll
  • Capital City

    Abu Dhabi

  • Currency

    United Arab Emirates dirham (د.إ, AED)

  • Languages

    Arabic

  • Population size

    9,890,400

Services available in this country:
Employer of Record ProductContractor ManagementPayroll
Abu Dhabi skyline

Facts & Stats

United Arab Emirates
  • Capital City

    Abu Dhabi

  • Currency

    United Arab Emirates dirham (د.إ, AED)

  • Languages

    Arabic

  • Population size

    98,90,400

  • 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.

14 Public holidays

Jan
Monday 1 January, 20241New Year's Day (يوم السنة الجديدة)
Apr
Monday 8 April, 20242Eid-ul-Fitr - 29 Ramadan
Tuesday 9 April, 20243Eid Al Fitr - Day 1
Wednesday 10 April, 20244Eid Al Fitr - Day 2
Thursday 11 April, 20245Eid Al Fitr - Day 3
Friday 12 April, 20246Eid Al Fitr - Day 4
Jun
Saturday 15 June, 20247Day of Arafah (يوم عرفة)
Sunday 16 June, 20248Eid Al Adha - Day 1
Monday 17 June, 20249Eid Al Adha - Day 2
Tuesday 18 June, 202410Eid Al Adha - Day 3
Jul
Wednesday 10 July, 202411Islamic New Year's Day (رأس السنة الميلادية)
Sept
Tuesday 17 September, 202412Prophet Mohammed's Birthday
Dec
Monday 2 December, 202413National Day (اليوم الوطني)
Tuesday 3 December, 202414National Day Holiday (اليوم الوطني)

Want to see and manage all holidays? Sign up for our free HRIS!

Effortless HR in United Arab Emirates: Take the Tour

Seamlessly Manage Your Workforce, from First Hire to Final Paycheck

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 localised expertise to needed attract and keep the best global talent.

Our benefits packages in the United Arab Emirates are tailored to fulfil 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

Fair Pricing in United Arab Emirates

Employer of Record

Hire and pay your global team

Starting at $599/month

paid annually, or $699/month paid monthly

Top features

  • Satisfaction guaranteed

  • No deposits or hidden fees

  • Zero onboarding or offboarding fees

  • Compliant equity incentives support including withholding and reporting

  • Built-in security and compliance

  • Fast onboarding (average 2-3 days)

  • Flexible, localised benefits

Contractor Management

Compliantly onboard and pay contractors

$29

per contractor/month

Top features

  • Only pay for contractors you actively work with

  • Work with contractors in 200+ countries and territories

  • Create, edit, and sign tailored, localised contracts

  • Approve contractor invoices with one click or auto-pay

  • Transparent payments with complete visibility

Payroll

Consolidate your multi-country payroll

$29

per employee/month

Top features

  • Simplify: Comprehensive platform that integrates all payroll functions

  • Support: Personalised assistance with a dedicated team and specialists

  • Accuracy: Test runs and parallel pay runs before implementation

  • Compliance: Adhere to local labour laws in every country

  • Timeliness: Accurate and on-time payroll with labour authority reporting handled

  • Experience: Seamless payroll with easy access to payslips and expenses

HRIS

Manage all of your employees in one place

Free

Top features

  • Guided onboarding and offboarding

  • Employee profile and document management

  • Time and attendance (time off and tracking)

  • Expense management and reimbursement

  • Employee self-serve on the platform and mobile app