VoxxArrive · Jurisdiction
Hiring & onboarding in KIZAD (Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi / KEZAD): visas, contracts, gratuity
KEZAD (Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi, the former KIZAD) is Abu Dhabi's largest integrated economic-zone operator, run by AD Ports Group, hosting free-zone and dual-licence industrial, logistics and manufacturing entities. For onboarding it is a conventional (non-financial) free zone: KEZAD sponsors the visa and administers the immigration file, but employment terms stay under Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 - it has no separate labour code like ADGM or DIFC. Residence visas, entry permits and Emirates ID are processed through the federal ICP (not Dubai's GDRFA), and wages run through the federal WPS.
What's different
- Sponsor is KEZAD, not MOHRE. As the free-zone authority (part of AD Ports Group), KEZAD issues the trade licence, the immigration establishment card (the company's 'migration file') and the visa quota, and runs the entry-permit-to-residence-visa flow through its own one-stop-shop - you do not open a separate MOHRE labour file the way a mainland employer does. KEZAD advertises company set-up in as little as 24 hours and no visa deposit on start-up packages.
- Immigration authority is ICP, not GDRFA. Because KEZAD sits in Abu Dhabi, entry permits, residence-visa stamping and Emirates ID go through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) - a different portal and process from Dubai free zones, which use GDRFA. Employees applying from outside the UAE typically enter on the entry permit and complete the medical fitness test and biometrics inside the country.
- Employment law does NOT differ from mainland - this is the key point employers get wrong. Unlike ADGM (which has its own common-law-based employment regulations) or DIFC, KEZAD has no standalone labour code. Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 governs the contract, probation (max 6 months), notice, working hours, leave and end-of-service. So gratuity is the standard federal formula (21 days' basic pay per year for the first 5 years, 30 days thereafter, capped at 2 years' pay) - there is NO DEWS-style or funded workplace-savings scheme (those are specific to DIFC and ADGM).
- Visa quota is workspace-based, not labour-quota-based. Allocation is tied to the office/warehouse package - flexi/small packages carry a fixed low number of visas (e.g. 1-4 visa tiers), while serviced plots, pre-built warehouses and build-to-suit industrial facilities carry larger allocations scaled to space and activity. This differs from the mainland model, where quota is driven by MOHRE against activity, space ratios and Emiratisation.
- Wages run through the federal Wage Protection System (MOHRE/CBUAE), not a free-zone-specific wage scheme - so salaries must be paid through a WPS-registered channel on the federal timetable, unlike DIFC/ADGM which operate their own frameworks.
- Emiratisation quotas do not bite. As a free-zone entity, KEZAD companies are currently outside the mandatory MOHRE/Nafis Emiratisation targets that apply to mainland private firms with 50+ skilled staff. Caveat: a dual-licence (add-on DED licence for mainland trading) creates Emiratisation obligations on the mainland-registered headcount, and government has signalled phased extension to some free zones later this decade.
- Sector and workforce profile is industrial, not services. KEZAD is built for automotive, metals, polymers, speciality chemicals, food processing, life sciences and logistics near Khalifa Port. Onboarding is therefore often high-volume blue-collar/industrial: labour accommodation, bulk medicals and WPS at scale matter more than the single-desk office onboarding of a services free zone.
Which onboarding steps this affects
This affects 42 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
42 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
Hiring Manager prepares role onboarding plan and 90-day objectives
Onboarding plan
Employee signs the employment contract on Day 1
Signed employment contract
Collect original passport and entry permit for residence visa processing
Employee acknowledges probation terms and success criteria in writing
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
Collect the issued Emirates ID card once produced by ICP
Emirates ID card
Agree probation objectives and measurable success criteria with the employee
Probation objectives
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
Confirm GPSSA registration completed within one month of joining (nationals)
Update Emiratisation/Nitaqat headcount records with MOHRE (if Emirati; counts only if GPSSA + WPS)
Conduct 30-day probation check-in and document feedback
30-day review note
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
Conduct mid-probation performance review against agreed objectives
Mid-probation review
Decide probation outcome before the 6-month cap (confirm / extend / exit with 14-day notice)
Probation decision letter
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
- KEZAD Group - Free Zone Business Setup Solutions (official)
- KEZAD Group - UAE's Largest Free Zone (official overview: sectors, AD Ports Group, dual licensing, 100% ownership)
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) - Abu Dhabi residence/visa authority
- RFS HR Consultancy - Emiratisation in UAE Free Zones (JAFZA, DMCC, DIFC, ADGM) exemption position
Frequently asked
Does KEZAD have its own employment law like ADGM or DIFC?
No. KEZAD is a conventional free zone, so employment relationships are governed by Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 - the same law as mainland UAE. Only ADGM and DIFC operate independent, common-law-based employment codes. That means probation, notice, leave and end-of-service in KEZAD follow the federal rules, not a zone-specific regime.
Who issues the residence visa and Emirates ID for a KEZAD employee?
KEZAD (as part of AD Ports Group) sponsors the employee and issues the establishment card and visa quota, but the residence visa, entry permit and Emirates ID are processed through the federal ICP, because KEZAD is in Abu Dhabi. This differs from Dubai free zones, which use GDRFA.
Is there a DEWS or workplace-savings scheme instead of gratuity?
No. End-of-service in KEZAD is the standard statutory gratuity under Federal Decree-Law 33/2021 (21 days' basic pay per year for the first five years, 30 days thereafter, capped at two years' total pay). Funded savings schemes such as DIFC's DEWS or the ADGM scheme do not apply here.
How many visas can a KEZAD company get?
Visa quota is tied to the workspace package rather than a labour quota. Small/flexi packages carry a fixed low number of visas (marketed in 1-4 visa tiers), while warehouses and industrial plots carry larger allocations scaled to space and activity. Confirm the current allocation for your specific package with KEZAD, as tiers and fees change.
Do Emiratisation quotas apply to a KEZAD company?
Free-zone entities are currently outside the mandatory MOHRE/Nafis Emiratisation targets that apply to mainland firms with 50+ skilled staff. However, if you hold a dual (DED) licence for mainland trading, Emiratisation applies to the mainland-registered workforce, and the government has signalled possible phased extension to some free zones in future.