Workforce Training Institute to train expats U.A.E law and their rights

The institute designed to educate expat employees, the country’s laws and informing them of their rights and duties was launched recently by a team comprising of four government departments. The Workforce Training Institute is currently in its preliminary stage of training Dubai’s blue collar workers, but by 2018, it is set to train expat employees across all sectors in the emirate.

The Workforce Training Institute was set up the ‘Orange Team,’ a group set up under the ‘City Makers’ initiative launched by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, in December 2014. The initiative aims to bring together teams from across different government authorities to collaborate to develop innovative, integrated solutions for government. The Orange Team is a joint effort of four government departments, including Dubai Courts, Dubai Police, Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs (PCLA) and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Its primary mission is to follow-up on all the affairs of the expatriate workforce in the emirate.

Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Surour, Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs said, during a meeting with The Orange Team at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Headquarters, that The Workforce Training Institute is one of the team’s most important initiatives. “Our aim was to create an institute to train all employees in the emirate of their rights and duties, while educating them of the country’s laws,” he said, adding that the initiative has been divided into three phases.

“Phase 1, which has already begun, is a preliminary stage to train workers in Dubai. The second phase, which is set to start in 2017, targets workers in the building and construction sector. The third phase, which will be compulsory, will be launched in 2018 and includes training of all employees in the emirate,” Bin Suroor, who is also the deputy director of the GDRFA, said.

“We aim to create a healthy work environment in Dubai, one which protects the workers’ rights and meets global standards,” he said, adding that the institute will ensure that workers in the emirate are not subjected to any kind of exploitation. “By knowing the country’s laws and what rights they have, employees can ensure they don’t fall prey to exploitation.

He also said that the institute will consult a number departments and organisations in the country, “making sure we benefit from the experiences of others in this area.”

Courses at the institute will be divided into three main subjects, all taught in a number of languages. One course will deal with defining the labour law, and explaining the unified contract and its terms and conditions. Another will deal with elaborating on the culture of the country and its social behaviour. The third will deal with occupational health and safety. “We will also be distributing material, such as leaflets, which will clearly state the country’s labour laws. Visits to labour accommodations will also be conducted with the purpose of training them,” Bin Suroor said.

Brigadier Dr Mohammad Abdullah Al Murr, Director of the Human Rights Department at Dubai Police, said the PCLA will take the reigns on executing the training initiative, with the collaboration of other departments involved. “The initial phase of the project aims to train more than 100,000 workers in the construction sector in the next 18 months,” he said.

Brig Dr Al Murr said the third phase of the institute, which will be launched in 2018, will be compulsory to all employees in the emirate. “It will be a two-day course covering everything from crisis and resource management to programmes of quality and excellence.”

“The training programs will be free, and will be compulsory to all employees in Dubai”

Workforce Training Institute

Phase 1: preliminary stage of training workers in Dubai
Phase 2: to start in 2017, will target workers in the construction sector
Phase 3: to start in 2018, will train all employees in the emirate 

Initial phase aims to train more than 100,000 workers in the next eighteen months

Courses at the institute will be divided into three main subjects.

One course will deal with defining the labour law, and explaining the unified contract and its terms and conditions.

Another will deal with elaborating on the culture of the country and its social behaviour.

The third will deal with occupational health and safety. “We will also be distributing material, such as leaflets, which will clearly state the country’s labour laws.

U.A.E Ministry holds employers responsible for attesting standard contract

Under new standards, the Ministry holds employers responsible for attesting in the standard contract to the fact that workers have not been charged any recruitment fees. In 2015, the Ministry took steps to ensure the contracts workers are asked to sign are standardised, to prevent contract substitution and to promote clarity and transparency.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has published the first annual report entitled 'Workers Welfare Report 2015,' highlighting the labour rights in the UAE.

The 2015 report focuses on measures to ensure that all workers that come to the UAE "are recruited and employed equitably, safe in their place of work, and free to advance professionally and personally."

The publication of this report is part of a drive to increase transparency about labour issues, improve data reporting and ensure that discussion about the transnational labour mobility and economic development is frank and fair.

In a forward to the 2015 Report, Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, remarked that "The UAE’s workforce is our greatest asset: the driver for growth that enables economic diversification and secures the future for tomorrow’s generation."

Ensure Workforce Protected

"The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is committed to ensuring our workforce is protected and its dynamism is harnessed for the good of all. Therefore the ministry has launched a series of initiatives and resolutions to promote workers' welfare in the country, most notably, Standardising labour contracts in order to promote clarity and transparency for workers and employers," he added.

He further elaborated that the ministry launched new laws that "Enable workers to move freely between employers, as well as evaluating and reviewing every aspect of working in the Emirates from recruitment to housing and making significant reforms designed to ensure all workers are treated respectfully at all times, and able to report instances of maltreatment easily."

Legal Professionals to help Labour Disputes

The minister said that MOHRE has appointed 63 legal professionals to help resolve labour disputes, and trained 100 members of staff to facilitate the process of dispute resolution. The ministry has also implemented a new, dynamic smart inspection system to enable the inspectors focus their efforts on higher risk business establishments.

The report begins by describing the UAE’s exponential growth in recent decades as a global centre of commerce and tourism which has been achieved thanks to the hard work of millions of people from all over the world.

People from all corners of the planet travel to UAE to contribute to its growth, putting their skills to use to build and operate the institutions and infrastructure that are now the lifeblood of the national economy.

"The United Arab Emirates is proud to host such a diverse, eclectic population. Proud, too, that at a time of economic slowdown in many parts of the world, the United Arab Emirates continued to create jobs and offer opportunities for people to better themselves, and better the prospects of their families and home nations, which directly benefits some of the world’s poorest communities, enabling access to health and education, created sustainable societies, and raised standards of living in recipient countries".

The report goes on to say that UAE remains a young country undergoing dramatic change and huge economic growth. That brings significant challenges in terms of the management of the labour market.

It is vital, however, that all workers in the UAE enjoy employment protections that conform to the highest standards of international best practice and law, which is why the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is at the forefront of driving reform to protect workers. Only by upholding the reputation of the nation as an equitable provider of employment and continue attracting the brightest and most skilled workers from around the world.

The protection of workers is fundamental to the ongoing work of the Ministry of Human Resource and Emiratisation, the report reads. Over the course of 2015, the Ministry undertook significant steps to ensure worker protection, including reviewing legislation and regulatory oversight, improving dispute resolution systems and increasing transparency.

"We can’t deny that many non-national workers have faced in the past many malpractices by recruitment agents. Consequently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has been cooperating with countries of origin to improve practices within the recruitment industry as a priority issue."

Monitor Recruitment Companies

The ministry continues to closely monitor the practices of recruitment companies and take immediate actions when violations take place. In 2015 the Ministry suspended the licences of recruitment agencies that violated recruitment practices.

Moving on to describe measures to enhance contract transparency, the report remarks that no employer in the UAE can engage workers against their will or on terms that do not meet the UAE labour standards. All employment contracts in the UAE must be consensual by nature and both parties have the right to terminate an employment contract at any time, in accordance with the terms and provisions of the contract.

Standard Contract, Employers Responsibility

Under new standards, the Ministry holds employers responsible for attesting in the standard contract to the fact that workers have not been charged any recruitment fees. In 2015, the Ministry took steps to ensure the contracts workers are asked to sign are standardised, to prevent contract substitution and to promote clarity and transparency.

The Ministry launched a package of reforms designed to promote transparency regarding fixed-term and unlimited contracts. Henceforth, no non-national worker can be recruited from overseas for employment in the UAE until he or she has been presented with a standard job offer that conforms to the UAE Standard Employment Contract (SEC).

The standard job offer is available in eleven languages and must be signed in the employee’s country of origin before his or her work permit can be processed. The Ministry also works to ensure that all workers obtain a copy of UAE employment law without charge, so that they know their rights.

The Report goes on to assert that the UAE has struck partnerships with international organisations, and works closely with the governments of labour sending countries to ensure that their citizens are protected while in the UAE.

Report Ensuring Worker Welfare

The report elaborates that the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation recognises that "A vital step in ensuring worker welfare is making sure workers are aware of their labour rights."

The Ministry ensures that workers throughout the country have easy access to government representatives at conveniently located Labour offices. Workers are encouraged to visit a Labour office at any time to report concerns or to ask for guidance on any issue. There are five Labour offices in the UAE: two in Abu Dhabi, two in Dubai and one in Sharjah.

Additionally, Ministry representatives carry out frequent site visits to promote awareness of worker rights. In the summer of 2015, the Ministry’s Guidance department made thousands of site outreach visits to stress to workers and employers the importance of the midday break for worker welfare. The meetings were also a useful occasion at which to listen to worker concerns regarding heat exhaustion and employment conditions.

During such visits, the Ministry printed out and distributed thousands of awareness-raising posters highlighting the dangers of midday work, translated the ministerial resolution ‘Prohibiting midday work’ into ten languages and published the resolution on the Ministry’s website. The Ministry has also translated the administrative resolution Number 60 detailing midday working hours law into three languages.

Dubai Workers Can Claim Their Rights Legally: Trust in Legal Channels

This article from 2016 highlights the steps taken by Dubai Police and Dubai Municipality to increase awareness of workers' rights and improve workplace conditions, particularly in reducing stress caused by delayed wages.¹

While the core principle—that workers should know and use legal channels to resolve disputes—remains the focus, the methods, authorities, and legal frameworks in the UAE have been significantly updated since 2016.

Here is an analysis of the key points from the article, with modern context and current procedures:

⚖️ Workers' Rights and Dispute Resolution in the UAE: An Update

The 2016 article detailed the efforts of Dubai Police (Human Rights Department) and Dubai Municipality in addressing worker grievances, particularly regarding delayed wages.² Since then, the Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) and subsequent ministerial resolutions have solidified and streamlined the process, giving the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) the central role.³

1. Authority for Labour Disputes

2016 Context	Current (2025) Procedure and Authority
Dubai Police Human Rights Department's Temporary Employment Conditions Control Section handled complaints and had a "free line" and "smart app" for workers.	The primary authority is the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). MoHRE handles labour complaints for the private sector (excluding some Free Zones) through: * Toll-Free Call Center: 800 84 (Labour Claims and Advisory) or 600 590000 (General Inquiries). * MoHRE Website/App: Dedicated e-services for filing complaints, including a confidential "My Salary Complaint" option.
Goal: Build trust and prevent workers from resorting to unlawful methods (like strikes).	Goal: Resolve disputes amicably, enforce the law, and ensure swift resolution (conciliation within 14 days is the target, sometimes faster in Dubai).

2. Protection Against Delayed Wages (WPS)

The article noted that delays in giving wages were the top cause of stress, and compensation for delayed wages amounted to Dh319 million (2009-2015).⁴ This issue is now strictly managed by the Wages Protection System (WPS).⁵

• Legal Mandate: Employers must pay wages through the WPS.⁶ The salary is considered delayed if not paid within 15 days of the due date (unless the contract specifies a shorter period).⁷
• Penalties: Failure to comply with WPS within the allowed grace period subjects the company to strict penalties, including fines, warnings, suspension of new work permits, and potential referral to the Public Prosecution.⁸
• Complaint: Workers can file a confidential "My Salary Complaint" through MoHRE to report non-payment without their identity being immediately disclosed to the employer.⁹

3. Resolution Time and Trust

The article highlighted that complaints were addressed within 45 minutes of receipt and that trust had increased to 93% by 2015.¹⁰

• Current Resolution: MoHRE now has the authority to issue final and binding decisions in labour disputes where the claim value is less than AED 50,000.¹¹ This dramatically speeds up the resolution process for most workers' complaints by bypassing the lengthy court procedures.¹²
• Court Exemption: Workers are exempt from paying judicial fees for labour claims that are less than AED 100,000.¹³

4. Ongoing Awareness

The importance of awareness campaigns mentioned by Lt Colonel Al Helli and Dubai Municipality remains crucial.

• Modern Channels: Awareness and support for workers are now widely provided through MoHRE's multilingual digital platforms, smart apps, and continuous outreach initiatives by local police and government entities (like the "Worker's Welfare" initiatives often cited by Dubai Police). These campaigns continue to focus on legal rights, duties, safety, and available communication channels.¹⁴

The core message remains the same: the UAE legal system provides robust, accessible, and increasingly efficient channels for workers to claim their rights, particularly concerning timely salary payments, which has significantly reduced the need for unlawful actions.

Would you like me to look up the current MoHRE penalties for repeated salary delays under the Wages Protection System?

 

Saudi Arabia Introduce Green Card within Five years

Saudi Arabia will introduce a "green card" system within five years to allow resident expatriates in the kingdom to have more rights in order to improve its investment climate, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Monday.

Speaking in a television interview, he said planned sweeping reforms, of which the proposed green card is one, will be implemented even if oil prices rise back above $70 a barrel and pledged to end Riyadh's dependence on crude revenue by 2020.

The Saudi government on Monday approved a plan for vast economic reforms dubbed ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ to substantially reduce the Opec powerhouse’s reliance on oil, the official SPA news agency reported.