Employee Rights in the UAE Private Sector

The key figures for your rights in one place, and every row takes you to a detailed calculator with the method and the article of law.

Prepared and reviewed by the Mustahaqati team · Last updated: 2026-11-03

Your key rights in figures

Right	The rule in brief	Basis
End-of-service gratuity	21 days' basic salary for each of the first five years, then 30 days for each year after, capped at two years' pay, after one year of service.	Article 51
Final settlement	Gratuity and leave pay (on basic), notice pay and unpaid days (on the full wage), paid within 14 days.	Articles 29, 43, 51, 53
Domestic workers	14 days' gratuity per year after one year, 30 days' annual leave and a ticket every two years, and a refund of recruitment costs for the remaining months.	Decree-Law 9/2022
Annual leave	30 days per year of service, and 2 days a month if service is over six months but under a year. Unused days are paid when the contract ends.	Article 29
Overtime	The hourly wage plus at least 25%, rising to 50% for overtime between 10 pm and 4 am or on a rest day.	Articles 17–21
Notice pay	A notice period set by the contract between 30 and 90 days; whoever does not observe it pays the wage for the unobserved period on the last full wage.	Articles 43 and 9
Sick leave	After probation: 90 days per year of service, the first 15 on full pay, then 30 on half pay, then 45 unpaid.	Article 31
Maternity leave	60 days: 45 on full pay and 15 on half pay, plus 5 working days of parental leave for either parent within 6 months.	Articles 30 and 32
Bereavement, parental and study leave	Bereavement 5 days for a spouse and 3 for a parent, child, sibling, grandchild or grandparent; parental leave 5 working days; study leave 10 working days after two years.	Article 32
Ramadan working hours	Two hours less a day for all workers, with no deduction from pay.	Executive Regulations, Art. 15
Unemployment insurance (ILOE)	AED 5 a month for basic salaries up to AED 16,000 and AED 10 above, paying 60% of basic salary for up to three months.	Decree-Law 13/2022
Dismissal without notice	10 cases in Article 44 after a written investigation and a reasoned decision; gratuity is not forfeited.	Articles 44 and 39
Leaving without notice	4 cases in Article 45, including employer breaches after notifying the Ministry 14 working days in advance.	Article 45
Nationals' pension	New law: 2.67% per year up to 30 years then 4%, with a minimum of AED 10,000. Old law: 60% for 15 years then 2% a year.	Decree-Law 57/2023
Golden and Green Visas	Golden, 10 years: AED 30,000 salary at skill level 1 or 2, or AED 2 million in property or investment. Green, 5 years: AED 15,000 or AED 360,000 freelance income. Retirees: 55 with AED 1 million or AED 240,000 income.	Cabinet Resolution 65/2022
Emiratisation target	Companies with 50 or more workers: 10% of skilled jobs by the end of 2026 (1% every six months), and AED 10,000 a month per missing Emirati. Companies with 20–49 workers in 14 activities: two Emiratis.	Ministerial Resolutions 279/2022 and 455/2023
Abu Dhabi pension	3.2% per year up to 25 years (80%), then 2% up to 100%, with a minimum of AED 10,200. Early retirement for existing members: 25 years and age 46, then 46.5 from 1 December 2026.	Abu Dhabi Law 18/2023
Dubai rent increase	No increase if your rent is 10% or less below the index average, then 5% to 20%, with 90 days' notice.	Dubai Decree 43/2013
Corporate tax	0% up to AED 375,000 and 9% above, with small business relief (revenue up to AED 3 million) until 2029.	Decree-Law 47/2022
Payment of dues	Within 14 days of the end of employment.	Article 53

The figures above are for private-sector employees under the federal Labour Law. Every calculator cites its source and last review date. Prefer Arabic? Use the Arabic version.

End of service

GCC Probation Period End Date Calculator UAE up to 6 months, Saudi Arabia up to 180 days, with the rules during probation UAE UAE Domestic Worker (Maid) Gratuity Calculator 14 days per year after one year, unused leave, and the agency refund UAE UAE Final Settlement Calculator Gratuity, unused leave, notice pay and unpaid salary in one figure UAE UAE Gratuity Calculator 21 then 30 days of basic salary per year, pro-rated, capped at two years' pay UAE Termination Without Notice in the UAE (Article 44) 10 cases after a written investigation and a reasoned decision — gratuity is preserved UAE Leaving Work Without Notice in the UAE (Article 45) 4 cases, including an employer breach after notifying MOHRE 14 working days ahead UAE UAE Gratuity Calculation After Resignation Resign after one year and you get the full gratuity: examples for 2, 3 and 4 years UAE UAE Gratuity Table Gratuity ready-reckoner for every basic salary and 1 to 30 years of service UAE UAE Gratuity and Unpaid Leave Unpaid absence is taken off your service: how much each month costs UAE UAE Notice Period Pay Calculator Pay for unserved notice on gross wage, and the 14-day and one-month probation notices

Salary, pensions and social insurance

UAE Abu Dhabi Pension Calculator 3.2% a year up to 25, then 2%, a 10,200 minimum, early age 46 then 46.5 for existing members GCC Daily and Hourly Wage Calculator Daily, hourly and yearly wage, and the deduction for absent days GCC Citizens' Pensions in the Six GCC Countries Compared Pension as a share of salary after 15 to 35 years in all six countries GCC Salary Increase Calculator Raise percentage, salary after a raise, repeated annual raises and inflation UAE UAE Emiratisation Calculator 10% by the end of 2026, AED 120,000 per missing Emirati, and both counting methods UAE UAE Unemployment Insurance (ILOE) Calculator 60% of basic, capped at AED 10,000 or 20,000, for three months — and your premium UAE UAE Pension Calculator for Emiratis (GPSSA) New and old laws, the AED 10,000 minimum, and the gratuity when no pension is due UAE UAE Pension Table by Years of Service and Salary Monthly pension for salaries of AED 10,000 to 70,000 after 15 to 35 years, including Abu Dhabi

Leave and overtime

GCC Leave Across the Six GCC Countries Compared Annual and sick leave and sick pay in all six countries side by side UAE UAE Annual Leave and Leave Salary Calculator 30 days a year, 2 days a month after six months, and the cash value of unused leave UAE UAE Maternity Leave Pay Calculator 45 days full pay + 15 days half pay, plus 5 working days of parental leave UAE UAE Overtime Pay Calculator +25% for ordinary overtime, +50% at night, on rest days and public holidays UAE UAE Ramadan Working Hours and Overtime Two hours less a day for all employees; extra time beyond the reduced day counts as overtime UAE UAE Sick Leave Pay Calculator 15 days full pay, 30 half pay, 45 unpaid — after probation UAE UAE Special Leave Calculator (Article 32) Bereavement 5 or 3 days, parental 5 working days, study 10 working days GCC Working Hours Calculator Actual and overtime hours, Ramadan hours and break rules

Loans and finance

UAE UAE Personal Loan Calculator EMI and interest, with the Central Bank checks (20× salary, 48 months, 50% DBR)

Residence and government fees

UAE Do You Qualify for a UAE Golden Visa? Golden, Green and retirement visas: salary, property, investment, freelancing and students

Property

UAE Dubai Mortgage and Property Purchase Cost Calculator Down payment, 4% DLD fee, mortgage registration, agent fee and monthly payment UAE Dubai Rent Increase Calculator No increase up to 10% below average, then 5% to 20%, with 90 days' notice

Tax

UAE UAE Corporate Tax Calculator 0% up to AED 375,000, 9% above, Small Business Relief and loss relief GCC GCC VAT Calculator Add or extract VAT at UAE, Saudi, Bahrain and Oman rates

Everyday tools

GCC Age Calculator in Hijri and Gregorian Your age in both calendars, and your Hijri date of birth GCC Days Between Two Dates and Working Days Days, weeks and months between two dates, and working days without the weekend GCC Hijri to Gregorian Date Converter Hijri → Gregorian and Gregorian → Hijri, with the weekday and month length GCC Percentage Calculator Percent of an amount, one number as a percent of another, change, and price after discount GCC Zakat Calculator for Money and Gold 2.5% of zakatable wealth, with the nisab by gold or silver and carat conversion

Frequently asked questions

Does the UAE Labour Law apply to government employees?

No. Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021 governs the private sector. Federal and local government employees are covered by their own human resources laws, and some financial free zones (such as DIFC and ADGM) have separate employment laws.

Which salary are UAE entitlements based on?

Gratuity, pay for unused leave and overtime are based on basic salary. Notice pay is based on the last full wage (basic plus allowances), and by the wording of the law sick and maternity leave pay is on the full wage too.

What can I do if my final dues are paid late?

The law requires the employer to pay final dues within 14 days of the end of employment. If payment is late, you can file a labour complaint with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation through its official channels.

Sources

Figures and formulas on this page were last reviewed on 2026-11-03.