Most people have the dream of working and living in Dubai aka the city of gold as the salary packages here are quite lucrative. Even though the world’s economy suffered a massive loss because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Dubai’s economy is still recovering fast. Moreover, the government has also been quite supportive in this regard and has introduced clauses such as Force Majeure that help business owners to recover fast.
However, if you’re also one of those people who are looking for an opportunity to move to this incredible Emirate, this article is definitely for you. Because today we’re going to discuss some basic labour laws in Dubai that every job seeker must know about. Moreover, we have also added some other valuable information that will give you an edge over the other candidates.
Let’s take a look at them:
Visa & Passport
If you’re thinking about moving to Dubai for work, you need to have a valid passport and a 3-month working visa. However, as an employee, you don’t have to worry about the work visa as it’s the responsibility of your employer to provide it to you.
Moreover, if you’re working on a full-time job, your spouse will automatically get the permit to work part-time.
Working Hours
Working hours allowed in the emirate as per the law are nine hours per day or 47 hours per week. Similarly, the working hours are usually 8:30 am to 5:30 pm or 9 am to 6 pm.
Minimum Salary
As per the labour law, there’s no minimum wage fixed for expats. However, the minimum wage for UAE nationals is 3000 AED.
Leaves
Friday is the official off-day throughout the Middle East; therefore, all offices are closed on Friday. However, some offices even give Saturday off to their employees so all in all you get 30 calendar days off. Moreover, every permanent employee is entitled to avail 30 days of paid leaves annually.
Language
The official language of the UAE is Arabic. However, English is the second most common language. Therefore, if you want to secure a good job in Dubai, you must have a good command over English. Knowing to speak Arabic will give you an added benefit when you’re looking for a job as the locals mainly speak this language.
Payable Taxes
Till date, there are no income taxes in Dubai, which makes it an ideal place to work. All you earn directly goes into your bank without giving anything to the government. However, the government has introduced Value Added Taxes on some items. Similarly, you need to pay a service tax of 10 to 15% at certain hotels and clubs.
You Can Keep Your Personal Documents
Contrary to what most people have heard, people working in Dubai can keep their original documents with them. The Labour law of the emirate is quite clear and straightforward in this regard that no one can hold you by keeping your original documents.
You must give your employer your personal documents for completing the paperwork. But once the permit is issued, you should keep them with you. They are yours to keep them and as per the law, no employer can hold your passport.
So, if someone is demanding to keep your documents in lieu of a job, you can easily seek legal aid. Because according to the labour law, it’s pretty clear that Dubai doesn’t encourage conditionally bonded labour at all.
Entitlements
The labour law of the Emirate binds the employers to provide paid sick leaves and End of Service Gratuity to the permanent employees. The ESG includes 21 days of salary for the first five years of the employee’s service tenure along with any extra years.
However, these entitlements are not applicable to temporary employees. In order to avail them, a person must have a permanent job.
Final Verdict
To sum it all up, these are just some of the basic laws that every job seeker intending to work in Dubai must know. Nevertheless, if you find yourself in troubled waters, you can always seek help from lawyers that have ample knowledge and experience in Dubai Labour Law. Doing this will ensure that you’ll get relief.
Speak Your Mind