UAE labour contract template: summary of terms

Article 10 of the Executive Regulation lists the employer's name and address; the worker's name, nationality, date of birth, proof of identity and qualification; the job, start date and place of work; working hours and rest days; any probation; the contract term; the wage with benefits and allowances; annual leave; the notice period; and the termination procedures.

Contracts are made on the forms in MOHRE's system, for full-time, part-time, temporary, flexible, remote or job-sharing work (Executive Regulation, Article 10(4)). Arabic is the approved language, alongside a language the worker understands, and the Arabic text prevails if they differ (Article 66).

Yes. The employer and worker may add clauses to the approved contract forms, as long as they comply with the Decree-Law and its Executive Regulation (Executive Regulation, Article 10(2)).

If both parties carry on after the term ends without signing anything new, the contract is treated as extended on the same terms, and the new period counts towards continuous service (Article 8(4) and 8(5)).

No. Since Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 took effect on 2 February 2022, every private-sector employment contract is for a specified period and can be renewed by agreement (Article 8(3)). Employers had to convert old unlimited contracts to fixed-term ones within one year, a period the Minister could extend (Article 68). That window has passed.

The current text of Article 8 sets no maximum term, and the u.ae page on contract duration gives none. Another u.ae page still mentions a three-year maximum. Because the official sources differ, this tool offers terms of one, two or three years, which fits both. Renewals count towards continuous service.

Six months, and only once with the same employer (Article 9). During probation the employer must give at least 14 days' written notice. An employee who resigns to join another UAE employer must give at least one month's notice, and the new employer compensates the old one for recruitment costs unless agreed otherwise. An employee who resigns to leave the UAE must give at least 14 days' notice.

Between 30 and 90 days, the same for both parties unless a different period favours the employee (Article 43). The party who does not give notice pays the other the wage for the notice period, or for the part not worked.

Normal hours are at most 8 a day or 48 a week (Article 17), reduced by two hours a day in Ramadan, with at least one paid rest day a week (Article 21). Annual leave is at least 30 days for each year of service, and two days a month once service is over six months but under a year (Article 29).

A full-time foreign employee with at least one year of continuous service receives 21 days' basic salary for each of the first five years and 30 days' basic salary for each year after that, pro rata for part years, capped at two years' wage (Article 51). UAE nationals are covered by the pensions law instead. Use our gratuity calculator for the amount.

Only within limits. It is allowed where the job gives access to clients or business secrets, must be limited in time, place and type of work, and cannot last more than two years after the contract ends (Article 10). It does not apply if the contract ends during probation or for a reason attributed to the employer, and the employee is released if they or a new employer pay up to three months' wage with the former employer's written consent (Executive Regulation, Article 12).

No. DIFC and ADGM have their own employment laws. This tool follows Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 for the mainland private sector.

No. Your details are sent to our server only to build the preview and the DOCX or PDF file, and the letter is returned straight to your browser. Nothing is saved, logged or used for anything else, and you do not need an account.