UAE minimum wage: what the law says and the rules that apply

What UAE labour law says about a minimum wage

Article 27 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 lets the Cabinet, on the Minister's proposal, issue a resolution setting a minimum wage for all workers or any category of them. The UAE government portal's wages page, updated 14 October 2026, says no minimum salary is set in the labour law, though its general provisions require wages to meet employees' basic needs.

So your pay is what your contract says: Article 22 requires the amount or type of wage to be stated in it. Article 1 separates the basic wage from the total wage, which adds cash allowances and benefits in kind. The split matters because end-of-service gratuity is worked out on the last basic wage (Article 51). Use our gratuity calculator for an estimate.

The law covers private-sector employers and workers (Article 3), but not government employees, the armed forces and police, or domestic workers, who fall under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022. Free zone staff generally follow their free zone authority's rules plus the federal law; DIFC and ADGM have their own frameworks. Our guide to UAE labour law covers the wider rules.

The AED 6,000 minimum salary for Emiratis

The one fixed pay floor in the private sector is for UAE nationals. MOHRE set the minimum monthly wage for Emiratis working in the private sector at AED 6,000 from 1 January 2026. It announced the change on 31 December 2025 as part of its Emiratisation strategy, after earlier steps of AED 4,000 and AED 5,000.

The rule bites hardest for companies with Emiratisation targets. MOHRE requires companies with 50 or more employees to grow Emirati staff in skilled jobs by 2% a year, and companies with 20 to 49 employees in specified sectors to hire at least one UAE national (the UAE government portal says one by end 2024 and one more by end 2025). Targets can change, so check the current rule for your sector.

Salary thresholds for visas

Visa rules don't set wages, but they do set income levels you must reach to sponsor family or qualify for long-term residence. These are the main ones:

Conditions change, so confirm the current figure with ICP or, in Dubai, GDRFA before you apply. Our family visa service prepares and submits the sponsorship file, and our green visa guide covers that route.

How your wages are protected

Article 22 requires wages to be paid in AED, or another currency if agreed, on their due dates through the Ministry's systems. For employers registered with MOHRE, that system is the Wage Protection System (WPS), now run under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026.

• 1. Salary is due on the 1st. Wages for a month are due on the first day of the following Gregorian month.
• 2. At least 85% must arrive on time. Employers must transfer at least 85% of total wages due on time, where lawful deductions apply.
• 3. MOHRE acts from day 2. Alerts start on the 2nd day after the due date, and new work permits are suspended for non-compliant establishments on the 5th day.
• 4. Later steps escalate. On days 11, 16 and 21, depending on size, sector and repeat violations, measures include fines, automatic labour disputes and a travel ban on the person in charge.

Deductions are limited too. Article 25 allows them only in listed cases, such as loan repayments, court-ordered debts and disciplinary fines, and total deductions can't exceed 50% of the wage. If wages go unpaid, MOHRE handles complaints and decides claims up to AED 50,000, which either side can challenge in court.

Equal pay, and how we help

Article 4 bans discrimination on grounds such as race, colour, sex, religion, national or social origin or disability. It says a woman must be paid the same wage as a man for the same work or work of equal value, and a Cabinet resolution sets the criteria for judging equal value. Measures that raise Emirati participation in the labour market don't count as discrimination.

Global Sky PRO isn't a law firm and doesn't give legal or payroll advice. Through our hr services we prepare WPS salary files for your sign-off, type contracts and work permit applications on MOHRE, and track Emiratisation headcount. Our employment visa service handles the hiring paperwork; MOHRE decides permits and contracts.