VoxxArrive · Jurisdiction
Hiring & onboarding in Dubai Internet City: visas, contracts, gratuity
Dubai Internet City (DIC) is a TECOM Group technology free zone regulated by the Dubai Development Authority (DDA), not MOHRE. Employment is governed by the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Employment Regulations 2004 (with Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 as the minimum floor), licensing and work permits run through TECOM's AXS platform, and residency is processed via GDRFA-Dubai. Two things that most surprise mainland employers: the visa headcount is capped by leased floor area (1 visa per 60 sq ft), and the MOHRE Wage Protection System does not apply here.
What's different
- Regulator vs operator vs servicing arm: the Dubai Development Authority (DDA) is the government regulator with distinct legal status - its lineage traces to Dubai Law No. 1 of 2000 (a Law, not a decree), which established the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority; that body became the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority under Law No. 15 of 2014 and was renamed the Dubai Development Authority under Law No. 10 of 2018; TECOM Group is the master developer/operator; and AXS is TECOM's digital servicing platform (200+ services) through which you obtain the licence, establishment card, entry permits and employment visas. There is no MOHRE labour-card step.
- Governing employment law is the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Employment Regulations 2004 (plus DTMFZA Decision No. 3/2008 on penalties), administered and enforced by DDA, not MOHRE. Article 14(7) of the 2004 Regulations sets working conditions - hours, leave, end-of-service benefits, termination - as a minimum equal to the UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law 33/2021), so the federal law operates as a floor rather than the primary code.
- Visa quota is floor-area based, not a MOHRE quota. Per the official DIC FAQ, a company can sponsor one employee per 60 sq ft of leased commercial space; virtual/flexi-desk and business-centre packages instead carry small fixed visa allocations set by the licence tier. This differs fundamentally from the mainland's MOHRE quota-and-Emiratisation model.
- Wage Protection System does NOT apply. DDA-administered free zones (DIC, Dubai Media City, Dubai Design District) sit outside MOHRE WPS and currently have no free-zone WPS equivalent mandated - unlike DMCC and JAFZA, which have moved to full WPS coverage, and unlike every mainland employer. The new WPS framework (MOHRE Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, effective 1 June 2026) applies to all MOHRE-licensed private-sector companies and does not extend to DDA free zones. Salary payment is contractual/DDA-supervised rather than routed through a WPS agent file.
- End-of-service is standard UAE gratuity, not a savings fund. Via Article 14(7), gratuity follows the UAE Labour Law minimum (i.e. the federal 21-days/30-days-per-year basic-salary formula in the KB). DIC/DDA has no mandatory workplace-savings scheme - it is not a DIFC-DEWS or ADGM-style funded arrangement. DDA even publishes an indicative online gratuity calculator, though it is non-binding.
- Residency is a Dubai emirate-level process: entry permits and residence visas are issued through GDRFA-Dubai (not the federal ICP), initiated on AXS after the establishment card is live. Medical fitness test, Emirates ID and health insurance steps are the standard UAE flow.
- Typical sectors hosted (per the DIC FAQ): technology services, software, artificial intelligence, cloud, virtual reality, network solutions, e-commerce, big data, IT services, telecommunications and blockchain - it is a specialist ICT/tech cluster rather than a general-trade zone.
Which onboarding steps this affects
This affects 34 of the 57 onboarding tasks, concentrated in the Pre-boarding, Day 1, Week 1, Month 1, Month 3+ phases. Work through them in the live demo to see the compliance-readiness score respond as each is ticked off.
Your task slice
34 of the 57 onboarding tasks apply here.
Verify MOHRE establishment card is active and labour quota is available for the role
Establishment card / labour quota confirmation
Assess Emiratisation/Nitaqat impact of the hire before proceeding (skilled-role headcount)
Issue MOHRE-standard job offer letter and obtain the employee's signed copy
MOHRE job offer letter (signed)
Apply for the MOHRE work permit (labour card) via Tasheel/MOHRE portal
Work permit approval
Apply for entry permit (e-visa) or initiate in-country status change
Entry permit (60-day validity)
Collect and attest pre-boarding documents (passport, photos, degree/qualification attestation)
Attested document pack
Prepare fixed-term employment contract aligned to the signed offer
Employment contract (draft)
Set probation period in the contract (must not exceed 6 months, FDL 33/2021)
Define working hours, overtime, and weekly rest-day terms in the contract
Register the new joiner in payroll with a WPS-compliant salary structure
Confirm the employee holds a WPS-eligible UAE bank account or salary card
Employee signs the employment contract on Day 1
Signed employment contract
Collect original passport and entry permit for residence visa processing
Issue employee handbook and code of conduct; capture acknowledgement (incl. gross-misconduct grounds)
Handbook acknowledgement
Collect employee bank/IBAN details for WPS payroll set-up
Book and complete medical fitness test at an approved centre (communicable-disease screening)
Medical fitness certificate
Complete ICP Emirates ID biometrics (fingerprints, iris scan, photo)
Emirates ID application receipt
Submit residence visa application to GDRFA/ICP after medical and EID biometrics
Complete residence visa stamping / e-visa linking to the passport
Residence visa
Register the signed employment contract with MOHRE within the statutory deadline
MOHRE-registered labour contract
Activate WPS salary registration with MOHRE and the bank/agent
Confirm health insurance activation is linked to the residency file
Register UAE/GCC national with GPSSA (within one month of joining)
GPSSA registration
Verify residence visa and Emirates ID are fully issued (post-entry chain within 60 days)
Run the first WPS payroll and confirm on-time salary transfer
WPS SIF file
Update Emiratisation/Nitaqat headcount records with MOHRE (if Emirati; counts only if GPSSA + WPS)
Confirm gratuity/end-of-service accrual tracking has started in payroll
Assemble audit-ready employee compliance file (contract, visa, EID, insurance)
Employee compliance file
File original Emirates ID and residence visa copies in the personnel record
Issue confirmation-of-employment letter on passing probation
Confirmation letter
Reset and communicate post-probation notice-period terms (30-90 days)
Verify ongoing WPS compliance across the first pay cycles
Confirm health insurance validity aligns with residency expiry
Reassess Emiratisation target contribution and Nafis eligibility
Some figures on this page vary by jurisdiction, zone or nationality, or could not be independently confirmed from a public source at time of writing - confirm the current figure with the regulator before relying on it.
Sources
- Dubai Internet City - FAQs (visa quota 1 per 60 sq ft, sectors, DDA/AXS)
- Dubai Development Authority - Laws & Regulations (DTMFZ Employment Regulations 2004, Decision 3/2008)
- Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Employment Regulations 2004 (official DDA PDF)
- Lexis Middle East - DDA Gratuity Calculator note (Article 14(7), gratuity at UAE Labour Law minimum)
- GDRFA-Dubai - Entry Permits service
- Gulf News - More UAE free zones to require Wage Protection System (DDA zones exempt context)
- Morgan Lewis - UAE Introduces New Wage Protection System Resolution Effective 1 June 2026 (Ministerial Resolution 340/2026 applies to all MOHRE-licensed private-sector companies; does not extend to DDA free zones)
Frequently asked
Does MOHRE regulate employment in Dubai Internet City?
No. DIC is a free zone under the Dubai Development Authority (DDA). Licensing, establishment cards and work permits are handled by DDA through TECOM's AXS platform, and employment is governed by the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Employment Regulations 2004. Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 applies only as a minimum standard via Article 14(7) of those regulations, not as the administering code.
Is the Wage Protection System (WPS) mandatory in Dubai Internet City?
No. DDA-administered free zones, including DIC, Dubai Media City and Dubai Design District, are outside the MOHRE WPS and have no mandated free-zone WPS equivalent at present. This contrasts with mainland employers and with free zones such as DMCC and JAFZA, which now require WPS. Employers should still confirm the current position with DDA, as free-zone WPS policy has been tightening across the UAE.
How many visas can a DIC company sponsor?
The headcount is tied to leased space. Per the official DIC FAQ, a company can sponsor one employee per 60 sq ft of leased commercial space. Virtual, flexi-desk and business-centre packages instead come with small fixed visa allocations set by the licence tier, so the quota is driven by your office footprint rather than a MOHRE quota.
Does Dubai Internet City have a workplace savings scheme instead of gratuity?
No. Unlike DIFC (DEWS), DIC pays a standard UAE end-of-service gratuity. Article 14(7) of the 2004 Regulations sets end-of-service benefits at the UAE Labour Law minimum, so the usual 21-days-per-year (first five years) and 30-days-per-year (thereafter) basic-salary formula applies. There is no mandatory funded savings arrangement.
Who issues residence visas for Dubai Internet City employees?
Entry permits and residence visas are processed through GDRFA-Dubai (the emirate's residency directorate), initiated on the AXS platform once the company's establishment card is active. The medical fitness test, Emirates ID enrolment and health insurance steps follow the standard UAE sequence.