UAE onboarding, explained from both sides.

UAE Labour Law (MOHRE) essentials for employers: fixed-term contracts and core hiring duties

Since Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 came into force on 2 February 2022, the UAE private sector runs on fixed-term (limited) contracts only - the old "unlimited" contract was abolished, and employers had until 31 December 2023 to convert existing staff. MOHRE is the regulator: every non-UAE-national hire needs a MOHRE work permit and a registered written contract before work begins. Two amendments have since raised the stakes - Decree-Law No. 20 of 2023 routed labour disputes through MOHRE first, and Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024 (in force 30 August 2024) lifted fines to AED 100,000–1,000,000, including per-worker penalties for fictitious ("ghost") employment and Emiratisation.

1. 1Issue a MOHRE work permit before the person starts. For any non-UAE-national hire you must obtain a MOHRE-approved work permit before the employee can legally start. Free zones (DIFC, ADGM, DMCC, JAFZA, etc.) run their own permit/registration regimes rather than the mainland MOHRE system, so confirm which authority governs your entity.
2. 2Use a fixed-term written contract - unlimited contracts no longer exist. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 permits only fixed-term (limited) contracts; the 'unlimited' contract type was abolished. The contract must be in writing, in the MOHRE-approved form, and specify a definite term. MOHRE later removed the original statutory cap on contract length, but a definite term must still be stated and the contract is renewable by mutual consent.
3. 3Register the contract with MOHRE and include all mandatory particulars. The registered contract must set out the employer's licence details, the employee's identity, job title and description, start date and term, basic salary plus allowances (in AED), working hours, leave, probation period and notice period. Give the employee a signed copy.
4. 4Set probation correctly (Article 9) - maximum six months, no restart. Probation may not exceed six months from the start date and cannot be extended or restarted with the same employer. During probation the employer must give 14 days' written notice to terminate. An employee moving to another UAE employer must give 30 days' notice; one leaving the country must give 14 days - leaving without that notice triggers a one-year work-permit ban.
5. 5Apply lawful working-hours and notice rules. Normal hours are 8 per day or 48 per week (Article 17), reduced by 2 hours daily in Ramadan. For post-probation termination, the notice period must be between 30 and 90 days (Article 43). Overtime is paid at the normal hourly rate +25%, rising to +50% for hours worked between 10pm and 4am.

Fees and timelines vary by emirate, free zone and nationality - confirm the current figure with the regulator before you rely on it.