Working in United Arab Emirates: Jobs, Work Permits and Employee Rights

The United Arab Emirates, above all Dubai and Abu Dhabi, is the main job destination for Chinese people in the Middle East. There is no personal income tax, flights to China are frequent, many Chinese companies have offices there, and foreigners make up the great majority of the workforce. To work legally, though, a Chinese citizen needs a work permit issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) or by a free zone authority, plus a residence visa arranged by the employer (or a self-sponsored visa). Entering as a tourist and simply starting work is illegal.

In short: most people use the standard employer-sponsored work visa, valid for two years. Professionals with at least a bachelor’s degree earning AED 15,000 a month or more can apply for the self-sponsored five-year Green Visa, and senior professionals earning AED 30,000 or more can apply for the ten-year Golden Visa. There is no national minimum wage for expatriate employees; your rights rest mainly on Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on labour relations, the Wage Protection System (WPS) and the unemployment insurance scheme (ILOE). All figures below are official as of October 2026, and RMB amounts are approximate, using the Wise rate of 1 AED ≈ CNY 1.817 on 23 October 2026.

The UAE job market and Chinese companies

The UAE private sector depends heavily on foreign staff. The Report on the Development of Chinese Enterprises in the UAE (2022–2023), compiled by the China Chamber of Commerce in the UAE and published on the website of China’s Ministry of Commerce investment promotion agency, says foreign workers make up about 90% of the UAE labour market and up to 99% of staff in some private sectors, mainly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Egypt.

According to the same report, the chamber was founded in 2004 and has 195 members across energy, finance, construction, telecoms, shipping, technology and trade. Companies profiled include China State Construction Engineering (Middle East), set up in Dubai in 2005 with more than 10,000 employees; CNPC, whose UAE service operations have over 1,000 Chinese and over 4,000 local staff; PowerChina, with 3,409 staff in the UAE; COSCO Shipping West Asia, registered in the Jebel Ali Free Zone; China Telecom (UAE); CNBM International UAE; and the Dubai and Abu Dhabi branches of Bank of China, ICBC and China Construction Bank. 62% of surveyed firms had fewer than 50 employees in the UAE, so many Chinese offices are small and mostly hire people familiar with head-office processes. For an overview of the country, see our UAE country guide.

Sectors where Mandarin speakers have an edge

English is the working language and Arabic the official language; Mandarin is usually a plus rather than a hard requirement. We found no official hiring data by language, so the following is a general picture:

• Chinese companies’ UAE offices: contracting, energy, ports and logistics, telecoms and banking hire project managers, finance, business development, interpreters and engineers; some roles are filled by staff posted from China.
• Trade and e-commerce: Dubai is a re-export hub for the Middle East and Africa, and sourcing, supply-chain and cross-border e-commerce roles need people who can deal directly with Chinese factories.
• Tourism, hotels and retail: hotels, duty-free shops, travel agencies and luxury stores serving Chinese visitors hire Mandarin speakers.
• Finance and professional services: banks, wealth managers, law and accounting firms in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), with high demands on English and professional qualifications.

Note that Emiratisation has applied since 2022: private companies with 50 or more employees must raise the share of UAE nationals in skilled jobs by 2% a year, reaching 10% by the end of 2026, and some companies with 20–49 staff in selected activities must also hire nationals. Firms that miss targets pay financial contributions, which can affect how and how many foreigners they hire.

Work permits and visa types compared

On the mainland, the employer first obtains a MOHRE work permit and then a residence visa. In a free zone, the sponsor is the free zone authority rather than the employer, and the free zone’s own employment rules apply. MOHRE lists 13 work permit types, including recruitment from abroad, transfer between employers, residents on family sponsorship, temporary, part-time, freelance and Golden Visa holder permits. For entry and visa rules in general, see our UAE visa guide.

The process: from offer to residence card

The Work Bundle platform run by MOHRE and the immigration authorities combines the work permit, residence visa, medical test and Emirates ID fingerprinting. Officially the process has been cut from 15 steps (with 16 documents) to 5 steps, two in-person visits and about five working days.

1. Sign the offer and contractCheck the job title, basic salary, allowances and term; the contract must match what is registered in the MOHRE system
2. Prepare degree attestationThe jobseeker visa requires an attested qualification certificate; Green and Golden Visas require at least a bachelor’s degree
3. Employer applies for work and entry permitsPaid by the employer: AED 250–3,450 depending on company category
4. Medical test and fingerprints after arrivalThrough the Work Bundle or the ICP / GDRFA Dubai systems
5. Residence visa and Emirates ID issuedThe standard work visa runs for two years and is then renewed

A Chinese degree used for a work visa abroad usually has to be verified or notarised in China first and then attested as the UAE requires; follow your employer’s and the authorities’ latest instructions. For the steps in China, see our degree authentication guide.

Salary levels and income thresholds

There is no national minimum wage for expatriate employees. The private-sector minimum wage set by MOHRE applies only to UAE nationals: AED 6,000 a month for new and renewed permits from 1 January 2026, with existing Emirati staff to be raised to that level by 30 June 2026. For Chinese job seekers, the salary thresholds of the visa categories are more useful benchmarks.

The official portal u.ae states that “the UAE does not levy income tax on individuals”, and VAT is 5%, so the gap between gross and net pay is smaller than in China; rent, school fees and health insurance are expensive, though, so compare total packages. If you are also weighing other Asian options, compare our Singapore work guide.

Employment contracts and core rights

Private-sector employment is governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. The main rules published by u.ae and MOHRE are:

• Contracts: fixed-term contracts, renewable for the same or a shorter period; if both sides keep working after expiry, the contract is treated as renewed on the same terms.
• Probation: up to six months, not extendable. An employer ending employment during probation must give 14 days’ written notice; an employee moving to another UAE employer must give at least one month, and one leaving the country 14 days. Someone who resigns during probation without cause may be barred from a new work permit for one year.
• Notice: after probation, either side must give written notice of at least 30 and at most 90 days, on full pay. An employee who has been given notice may take one unpaid day a week to look for work.
• Hours and overtime: normal hours are 8 a day or 48 a week, reduced by two hours a day in Ramadan; overtime is capped at 2 hours a day and paid at the basic hourly wage plus at least 25%, or at least 50% between 10 pm and 4 am (except shift workers).
• Annual leave: 30 days a year; 2 days per month for service of more than six months but less than a year; unused leave is paid out on leaving.
• Sick leave: requires a report from an approved medical entity; the first 15 days on full pay, the next 30 on half pay and the following 45 unpaid; sick leave during probation is unpaid.
• End-of-service gratuity: foreign employees with at least one year of continuous service receive 21 days’ basic wage for each of the first five years and 30 days for each further year, based on the last basic wage.

The biggest difference from China: gratuity and overtime are calculated on the basic wage, not total pay, and many offers put a large share of income into housing and transport allowances, so check the basic salary before signing. Expatriates are also not covered by the UAE pension system, so the gratuity is effectively their main retirement benefit from the job.

Wage protection, unemployment insurance and complaints

• Wage Protection System (WPS): mainland employers must pay wages electronically through authorised banks, exchange houses or financial institutions, in dirhams unless agreed otherwise. Reminders go out on day 3 and day 10 after the due date; from day 17 the company’s new work permits are suspended.
• Unemployment insurance (ILOE): private and federal government employees must subscribe and pay the premium themselves: no more than AED 5 a month (about CNY 9) for basic salaries up to AED 16,000 and no more than AED 10 above that. After 12 continuous months, people who lose their job (not by resigning or disciplinary dismissal) receive 60% of the insured salary for up to three months, capped at AED 10,000 or AED 20,000 a month; claims must be filed within 30 days. Not subscribing or not paying premiums each carry a AED 400 fine.
• No fees, no passport retention: u.ae states that charging recruitment fees to prospective employees is illegal in the UAE, and that the employer bears recruitment, travel and residence costs. Employers may not confiscate passports, and workers do not need their employer’s permission to leave the country.
• Complaints: MOHRE’s toll-free Labour Claims and Advisory Call Centre is 80084, and complaints can also be filed online via the MOHRE website. Labour claims under AED 100,000 are exempt from court fees. Free zone employees can use MOHRE’s free zone complaint service or their free zone authority.

Where to look for jobs, and scams to avoid

• Chinese companies’ official careers pages: many posted roles are recruited by head office in China, so check the target company’s own recruitment page.
• International job platforms and LinkedIn: widely used by multinationals and local firms; check that the company holds a proper trade licence before applying.
• Free zone employers: visas for companies in DIFC, ADGM and other free zones are handled by the free zone authority, which can confirm that an employer is real.

FAQ

Can I go to Dubai on a jobseeker visa for interviews?

You can apply for a 60-, 90- or 120-day jobseeker visit visa if you are at MOHRE skill level 1–3 or graduated from a top-500 university within the last two years, hold a bachelor’s degree and meet the financial guarantee. It allows job hunting only, not work.

Is there a minimum wage for foreign workers in the UAE?

No. As of October 2026, MOHRE’s minimum wage applies only to UAE nationals in the private sector (AED 6,000 a month). Expatriate pay is set by contract, but it must be paid in full and on time through the WPS.

Do I still pay Chinese income tax while working in the UAE?

The UAE has no personal income tax, but if you remain a Chinese tax resident, your foreign salary may need to be declared in China. Residency depends on your domicile and days spent in China, so ask the tax authority or a professional before you leave.

Can I resign during probation?

Yes, with written notice: 14 days if you are leaving the UAE, at least one month if you are joining another UAE employer, who usually has to compensate your former employer for recruitment costs. Resigning and leaving without cause may bar you from a new work permit for one year.

Sources

1. MOHRE – Awareness guide for new employers (leave, gratuity, WPS, ILOE, Emiratisation) (accessed October 2026)
2. MOHRE – Dear Worker: know your rights (working hours, overtime) (accessed October 2026)
3. MOHRE – Minimum wage for Emiratis in the private sector raised to AED 6,000 (31 Dec 2025) (accessed October 2026)
4. u.ae – Employment contracts: duration and models in the private sector (accessed October 2026)
5. u.ae – Terminating employment contracts and arbitrary dismissal (accessed October 2026)
6. u.ae – Work permits (accessed October 2026)
7. u.ae – Work visa (residence visa for working in the UAE) (accessed October 2026)
8. u.ae – Jobseeker visit visa (accessed October 2026)
9. ICP – Green Residence Guide (accessed October 2026)
10. ICP – Golden Residency Guide (accessed October 2026)
11. u.ae – Unemployment insurance scheme (ILOE) (accessed October 2026)
12. u.ae – Protection of workers’ rights (accessed October 2026)
13. u.ae – Working in free zones (accessed October 2026)
14. u.ae – Taxation (accessed October 2026)
15. 阿联酋中国商会《中资企业在阿联酋发展报告（2022-2023）》（商务部投资促进事务局网站） (accessed October 2026)
16. Wise – AED to CNY exchange rate history (23 Oct 2026) (accessed October 2026)