Before you sign that UAE job offer, read these 9 clauses carefully.

UAE law is unambiguous: your employer bears all visa, entry permit, Emirates ID, and medical examination costs. Any clause requiring you — or your future employer — to repay these costs may be illegal under Article 6(4) of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.

Under UAE Labour Law, the maximum probation period is 6 months. During probation, both employer and employee can terminate — but with specific notice requirements. If you resign during probation and your employer wants to claim compensation, they can only do so if you failed to give adequate notice (14 days for resignation during probation if not going to another employer).

UAE courts have become increasingly willing to enforce non-compete clauses, but only within defined boundaries. Under Article 10 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, a non-compete must be limited to specific work that could genuinely harm the employer, geographically limited, and time-limited (typically 6 months to 2 years).

Many UAE employment contracts split total compensation into a basic salary, housing allowance, transport allowance, and other components. Your end-of-service gratuity is calculated on basic salary only — not your total package. A contract that pays AED 8,000 basic + AED 17,000 allowances produces a much lower gratuity than one structured as AED 20,000 basic + AED 5,000 allowances.

Standard UAE working hours are 8 hours per day, 48 hours per week. Overtime attracts a premium rate (at least 25% above normal pay, 50% for overtime between 9pm–4am and on rest days). Some contracts include vague clauses that appear to waive overtime rights or define 'flexible hours' in ways that effectively eliminate them.

UAE Labour Law sets a minimum notice period of 30 days and a maximum of 90 days. A notice period that's much longer for your resignation than for the company's termination of you creates an imbalance you'll feel when you want to move on.

UAE Labour Law restricts salary deductions to specific categories and limits. Recovery of loans or salary advances: permitted with employee agreement, capped at 25% of salary per month. Disciplinary fines: permitted under a documented and registered policy. Damage or loss: only permitted following a formal investigation.

If your contract includes a broad definition of what constitutes grounds for summary dismissal, read it carefully. UAE Labour Law Article 44 sets out the specific grounds on which an employer can dismiss an employee without notice. A contractual definition that goes much further is legally questionable — but it may still be used to deny your entitlements at exit, forcing you to file a MOHRE complaint to recover them.

Most mainland UAE employment contracts are governed by UAE federal labour law, with disputes through MOHRE and UAE Labour Courts. If your contract specifies a different jurisdiction — particularly if you're joining a DIFC or ADGM entity — the entire legal framework changes. DIFC Employment Law and ADGM Employment Regulations are separate from federal law, with their own courts.