Recruitment offices for domestic workers in UAE face fines for disregarding established guidelines
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) has announced tougher measures to safeguard the rights of domestic workers, including maids, nannies, cooks, and gardeners, across the Emirates. This comes as part of a national drive to regulate the industry and eradicate unauthorized practices by recruitment offices.
In a move to strengthen regulations, the UAE government has implemented strict fines and penalties targeting domestic worker recruitment offices and related labor law breaches since 2022. The fines range from AED 20,000 to AED 200,000, depending on the offense, with possible prison terms up to six months for serious breaches such as providing false information or using fraudulent documents in domestic worker recruitment.
Specific breaches and their penalties include:
- Providing false/fake documents to employ domestic helpers: fines between AED 20,000 and AED 100,000 and/or up to 6 months imprisonment.
- Hiring unlicensed workers, recruiting without providing a job, or misuse of permits: fines between AED 50,000 and AED 200,000.
- Closing recruitment agency operations without settling worker wages: same penalty as above.
- Employing domestic workers under 18 years old or facilitating absconding workers with intent to exploit: fines up to AED 200,000.
The MOHRE has actively fined and suspended recruitment agencies, with 40 offices fined for 140 legal violations in 2025 alone. The UAE strictly prohibits charging domestic workers any recruitment fees, emphasizing that recruitment agencies must be transparent and refrain from abusive practices such as commission fees for employment.
To protect domestic workers' rights, the UAE has established licensed centres, such as Tawjeeh and Tadbeer, to educate workers on their rights, responsibilities, and cultural integration, as well as to provide training and copies of contracts.
Enforcement has expanded criminal and civil offenses related to recruitment and employment breaches, increasing from four to eight punishable offenses over recent years to broaden protections. The new directives also aim to ensure employers are entitled to refunds in certain circumstances, such as when a worker terminates their contract, is deemed incompetent, or the employer ends the contract due to the recruitment office's failure to meet agreed conditions.
The ministry will continue to monitor the practices of recruitment offices closely to ensure they abide by employment laws and protect the rights of those hiring domestic workers. This move is part of the UAE's commitment to boost workers' rights and clamp down on rogue recruiters and employers, as demonstrated by the closure of 77 unauthorized social media accounts for carrying out domestic worker recruitment services illegally in the first six months of the year.
[1] Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (2022). New directives to protect domestic workers' rights. [Online] Available at: https://mohre.gov.ae/en/media-centre/news/new-directives-protect-domestic-workers-rights
[2] UAE Government (2022). Protecting domestic workers' rights: an overview. [Online] Available at: https://www.uaegov.ae/en/services/social-services/protecting-domestic-workers-rights
[3] Khaleej Times (2022). UAE fines 40 recruitment offices for breaching employment rules. [Online] Available at: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/emirates/uae-fines-40-recruitment-offices-for-breaching-employment-rules
[4] Gulf News (2022). UAE takes action against unlicensed domestic worker recruitment offices. [Online] Available at: https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-takes-action-against-unlicensed-domestic-worker-recruitment-offices-1.1654097624620
[5] Khaleej Times (2022). UAE to crack down on rogue recruiters with new measures. [Online] Available at: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/emirates/uae-to-crack-down-on-rogue-recruiters-with-new-measures
Domestic worker recruitment agencies in the UAE are being held accountable for their actions, with stricter fines and penalties now in place since 2022. These penalties range from AED 20,000 to AED 200,000, and violators may face imprisonment for up to six months.
In an effort to protect domestic workers' rights, the UAE government is taking proactive measures, such as establishing licensed centers for worker education, and expanding the list of punishable offenses related to recruitment and employment breaches. Such actions are part of the UAE's ongoing commitment to improving workers' rights and combating unscrupulous recruiters and employers.
