Labour Ban Free Rules Now Effective in UAE

The new Ministry of Labour (MoL) rules regarding employment contracts, termination and work permits will come into force starting January 2016. The new rule is part of the new resolutions issued by Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash in September.However, workers in grade IV and V who have not completed six months with the first job are exempted from this rule, he added
According to the Ministry, employees will be allowed new work permits to join another facility immediately, even if the employee has not completed two years at the first facility.As per the new rules, a six-month labour ban will not be imposed on an employee, if he/she and the employer opt for mutual termination of job contract. 

The new rules have been designed to reinforce a "balanced and productive" relationship between employers and employees.They take into consideration the consent between the two parties; flexibility of movement in the labour market; and meeting the needs of employers to hire workers from within the country and abroad.

As per the new rules related to standard labour contracts, employers should apply for a quota from the MoL. The offer letter should contain a detailed description of the job offered as well as rights and duties of each party. This is to be made through a Tas'heel center. If the worker is in the UAE, he/she must sign the employment offer before the employer applies for a tentative approval to employ him/her.

A standard MoL contract has to be signed by the worker before it can be presented to the MoL for registration. No alteration or substitution of terms may be made unless it benefits the worker. After the offer letter is signed , employers must enclose it with the application to obtain an approval to issue a work permit. After the worker enters the country, he/she needs to sign the contract within 14 days.

Limited period contracts

•  Terms of the contract has expired and not been renewed
•  Employee and employers mutually terminate the contract, provided the worker has completed a period of six months
•  Employer initiates the termination of the employment contract

Unlimited period contracts

•  The two parties mutually terminate contract, provided worker has completed 6 months
•  One of the parties acts to terminate the contract and notifies the other party
•  The employer terminates the contract for reasons other than non-compliance by the worker

U.A.E Employers Face 14-day deadline to complete Labour contracts from 1st of January 2016

Starting January 1, 2016 ,U.A.E labor department insisting employers  bound to present approved labour contracts within two weeks of workers arriving in the country to join for work.
During a meeting held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, which was attended by 300 employers and government representatives, Humaid bin Deemas Al Suwaidi, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs, said: "Employers face a 14-day deadline to complete signature procedures following the workers' entry into the UAE. If the worker complains of any delays, then the ministry allows him to search for a new offer."
"The new measures implement three new decrees issued by Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash recently with regard to regulating the labour market," he added.
The ministry has also relaxed its rule regarding the mandatory medical report to be submitted with a job contract.
After the new laws come into effect in the new year, the ministry will not issue new work permits to overseas workers or renew current residents' work permits if the employer does not present a unified signed contract. It will accept contracts which would be signed electronically by both parties regardless of the location of the workers or contracts with fingerprints, in specific cases.
Referring to the renewal of contracts, Al Suwaidi said that the signature grants workers free will to renew the contract or simply choose to end the relation and find a better offer or move back home.

This, Al Suwaidi said, would end misunderstanding between both parties.The move has been welcomed by companies and employees alike.

Three stages for hiring

The new procedures of recruiting foreign workers from outside the country for a two-year work visa will be in three stages.

Firstly, the employer applies for quota regardless of the number of workers recruited, the second demands handing over a printed offer letter containing a comprehensive description of their rights, duties, terms and conditions, through Tas'heel service centres or through the 'MoLApp' smartphone application.

"Secondly, employers should electronically sign a job offer, send it to the worker regardless of their location," Al Suwaidi said.

The job offer should then be either signed or fingerprinted as required.

The offer will be in both Arabic and English in addition to a third language that the worker understands, which can be available on the ministry's website.

"Each worker can review their work contract through the ministry's website after registering on it using their passport number, nationality and their transaction number as each has its own code," Al Suwaidi said.

During the work permit extraction stage, employers attach the signed offer letter by the worker for the initial approval.

The ministry then works on reviewing the application to make sure it meets all the requirements and then issues the permit, which allows the worker to come work in the country under a work permit.

Al Suwaidi also said that the electronic system will not allow new job offers for workers during the initial approval stages and replacing work permits will be treated according to specific procedures under issuing new work permit measurements.

"It's not mandatory to include medical report with job offers, especially that today we are electronic linked with the Residency and Foreigners Affairs, which does not issue workers a residence visa with medical report," he added.

U.A.E Revoke Six Month Labour Ban from January 2016

Effective from January 2016, there will be no six months ban if services are terminated in mutual agreement between the employer and employee. UAE Ministry of Labor has confirmed that the ban of six months will be cancelled beginning January if the work permit and employment are terminated in mutual agreement.The Ministry of Labour said that beginning January 2016, it will revoke the six months ban rule, if employee and employer opt for mutual termination of work permit.

The new rule is part of the new resolutions issued by Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash in September.However, workers in grade IV and V who have not completed six months with the first job are exempted from this rule, he added
According to the Ministry, employees will be allowed new work permits to join another facility immediately, even if the employee has not completed two years at the first facility.
The ministry has completed procedures for implementation of the resolutions beginning next year, the report added.
Humaid Rashid bin Dimas Al Suwaidi, Assistant Undersecretary at Ministry of Labour, told Al Bayan that under the new resolution, employees who end their service in agreement with the establishments and cancel their work permits will be allowed to move to other establishments, even if they have not completed two years at the workplace.
However, workers in levels IV and V who have not completed six months with the first facility are exempted from this rule, he added.
Al Suwaidi said that currently workers who terminate their service through consensus and have completed two years are also not allowed to move to another facility immediately. They are allowed to join another job only after a period of six months from the date of cancellation of the work permit, he added.
As per the new resolution No. 766 of 2015 workers will be granted new work permits immediately beginning January, explained Al Suwaidi and added that this is so as long as both the parties fulfill the conditions agreed upon in the labour contract signed between them.

Al Suwaidi confirmed that the new Ministry rule aims to attract and retain talent, and is in line with the strategic goal of the government to being a knowledge-based economy attracting global talent.
He said the ministry aims to promote workers from within the country rather than bringing them from abroad, especially people with expertise.
Al Suwaidi said last year 340,000 workers who ended their service at one job could not get new work permits because they had not completed two years and the labour market thus could not benefit from experiences and skills.
 

⚖️ Sponsoring Parents in the UAE: The 2026 Legal Framework, Salary Thresholds, & Step-by-Step Process

Are you planning to secure a residence visa for your parents in the UAE? The regulatory framework governing family sponsorship has shifted dramatically. Relying on legacy rules can result in immediate application rejection at typing centers or GDRFA platforms.

Here is the definitive, legally compliant blueprint for expatriates sponsoring their parents, updated with the active Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) mandates.

🛑 The Structural Shift: Old Rules vs. Modern Mandates

The historical thresholds that allowed sponsors to apply with lower salary bands have been permanently replaced. Furthermore, the massive, historical AED 20,000 security deposit is no longer a standard operational requirement under the streamlined digital immigration framework.

Parameters	Historical Framework (Obsolete)	Modern 2026 Statutory Framework (Active)
Minimum Salary	AED 6,000 (with housing) / AED 7,000 (without)	AED 20,000 gross monthly salary OR AED 19,000 + a certified 2-bedroom apartment.
Dependency Rule	Could apply for individual parents easily.	Joint Sponsorship Mandate: You must sponsor both parents together unless you provide official proof of divorce or a death certificate.
Security Deposit	AED 20,000 refundable cash deposit.	Abolished / Replaced by standard file opening and nominal digital processing fees.
Housing Mandate	No strict structural layout audit.	Minimum 2-Bedroom Ejari/Tenancy registered and certified via local authorities (DLD/Municipality).

📂 Phase 1: Securing the Entry Permit (The Humanitarian Appeal)

Sponsoring parents is treated fundamentally as a humanitarian visa. You must prove to the GDRFA/ICP Approval Committee that you are their sole provider and that no one remains in your home country to care for them.

Required Documentation for Entry Visa:

• Sponsor’s Credentials: Original Passport, valid Emirates ID, and a certified Labour Contract (or an official digital Salary Certificate).

• Parents' Credentials: Clear passport copies and recent passport-sized photographs.

• The Dependency Affidavit: A formal relationship and dependency certificate issued by your home country’s embassy or consulate, strictly attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), proving you are their sole financial caretaker.

• Accommodation Proof: A certified registered tenancy contract (Ejari in Dubai or Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi) explicitly stating a minimum of 2 bedrooms, alongside a matching utility bill (DEWA/SEWA/ADDC).

  • Note: If the contract type is ambiguous, a formal affidavit from the landlord confirming the 2-bedroom layout is required.

Operational Step:

Take these documents to an authorized typing center (Amer/Tasheel) or log directly into the official GDRFA/ICP digital portals. Submit the file along with a formal Humanitarian Appeal Letter written in Arabic. The internal Approval Committee will review, confirm, or reject the application—typically within 2 to 14 business days.

🏥 Phase 2: Status Change & Residence Visa Stamping

Once the Entry Permit is granted and your parents enter the UAE (or undergo an in-country status change), you have a strict statutory window of 60 days from the date of entry to finalize the residency stamp.

Required Documentation for Final Residency:

• Original Passports (Sponsor & Parents) + the approved Entry Permit.

• Medical Fitness Test: Parents must clear the mandatory medical screening at an approved government health center.

• Mandatory Health Insurance: You must secure a valid health insurance policy for each parent. To comply with basic safety nets, policies must feature a minimum coverage framework (typically starting at a premium cost layout of approximately AED 600 to AED 1,200 per year, depending on age and medical history).

• Emirates ID Biometrics: Complete the typing application and biometrics protocol for their physical Emirates IDs.

The Outcome:

Upon submission of the health clearance and insurance metrics through the digital Amer or ICP channels, the residency visa is approved. Physical Emirates IDs are subsequently dispatched via official courier networks (Empost) directly to your corporate or residential address.

🛡️ Pre-Application Checklist for Strategic Advisors & Expats:

1. Do Not Blend Contracts: If your salary is split between multiple entities, ensure your primary registered MoHRE contract meets the AED 20,000 mark cleanly.

2. Attest Early: Consular dependency certificates take time. Ensure the MOFA attestation sticker is physically on the document before submitting the file to Amer or GDRFA.

3. Check Your Ejari: Single-bedroom or studio apartments face instant, automated system rejection for parental sponsorship.

How are you navigating family residency compliance for your corporate executives or household structures this quarter? Let’s discuss compliance workflows in the comments below! 👇

#UAELaborLaw #FamilySponsorshipUAE #GDRFA #ICP #DubaiResidency #SharjahLiving #ExpatCompliance #UAEImmigration2026

Dubai Public Private Participation Law –PPP Law- Attract more private investment in 2016

Dubai New PPP Law draw more private investment into infrastructure projects in 2016, through the law, Dubai will be able to invite private companies and investors to finance and operate assets that otherwise would have been funded by government budgets.

With oil prices dipping below US$40 a barrel this month, the time to rely on private sector money may be more urgent that ever before not only for the UAE but for all Arabian Gulf countries.

With the IMF warning that some regional economies could use up their financial buffers within five years as they face a combined fiscal deficit exceeding $700 billion between 2015 and 2019, the incentive to go for PPP is urgent. Even Kuwait has revamped its PPP law to try to attract more investors to its slew of projects.

“In a high oil price environment, there was limited incentive for the regional governments to use PPP structures outside of the traditional power and water sectors,” says Dubai-based Mario Salameh, the head of project finance MENA at HSBC bank. “We will be watching closely for signs that the mood is changing given the lower oil price environment and the additional pressure this brings when developing and funding infrastructure projects.”

Dubai’s new PPP law excludes the power and water sector, which has its own legislation. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has awarded few IPP projects, the latest being the $1.8bn Hassyan clean coal power project in October 2015.

The law covering public-private partnerships is due to be introduced on November 19, and will allow the emirate to tap private sector funding for key projects such as the expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport and the extension to the Dubai Metro Red Line from Nakhel  Harbour and Towers to the Expo 2020 site.

However, as regional economies face increasing budgetary pressures resulting from the weaker price of oil, public sector clients are increasingly turning to private finance to help pay for projects.

The consortia bidding to build the extension to the Dubai Metro Red Line will be able to use public-private partnership (PPP) models as part of their bids, according to Dubai Roads & Transport Authority’s chief engineer for rail operations, Shahrin bin Abdol Salam.

The new Dubai law will remove the need for project-specific legislation for entities and for the government to act as guarantor for projects, as has been the case with the limited private finance rules that currently cover the power and water sector.

It will allow any government entity to use PPPs to develop infrastructure so long as they meet certain conditions.

For instance, all projects worth more than Dh200 million will need to form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) overseen by a committee containing a project CEO and a representative from the Department of Finance, although projects over Dh500m will still need the approval of the Supreme Committee.

However, supplementary regulations are also needed to determine whether SPVs can be based in free zones and offer foreign investors stakes of more than 49 per cent.

The first project to use PPP funding will be the new Union Square station plaza containing a number of towers that are set to be built above the existing Dubai Metro station.

The introduction of a new PPP law in Dubai follows on from the implementation of similar regulations in Kuwait and Bahrain.