UAE HR & Recruitment Glossary
Essential terms every employer needs to know when hiring in the United Arab Emirates — from Emiratization quotas to visa types and labor law compliance.
Compliance
Emiratization
A UAE government mandate requiring private sector companies with 50 or more employees to increase their Emirati (UAE national) workforce by 2% annually. Enforced by MOHRE with penalties of AED 6,000–9,000 per unfilled position per month. Applies to mainland companies in 14 designated economic sectors.
Read our Emiratization compliance guide →WPS (Wage Protection System)
An electronic salary transfer system mandated by the UAE government. All employers must pay salaries through WPS via approved banks or exchange houses. The system monitors payment timeliness and flags non-compliant employers. Minimum salary thresholds: AED 4,000 (bachelor's degree holders), AED 3,000 (diploma holders), AED 2,500 (semi-skilled workers).
Read our UAE hiring compliance checklist →PDPL (Personal Data Protection Law)
UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45/2021 governing the collection, storage, and processing of personal data. Employers must disclose how candidate data is used during recruitment, especially when using AI-powered screening tools. Rekroot includes PDPL-compliant disclosure on all application forms.
Establishment Card
A MOHRE-issued card that every private sector employer must obtain to legally hire employees in mainland UAE. Required for work permit applications. Must be renewed annually and reflects the company's labor compliance status.
Employment Law
End-of-Service Gratuity
A lump-sum payment owed to employees upon termination of employment in the UAE. Calculation: 21 days' basic salary per year for the first 5 years of service, 30 days' per year thereafter, capped at 2 years' total salary. Requires minimum 1 year of continuous service.
Limited-Term Contract
The only type of employment contract permitted in the UAE since February 2022 (per Federal Decree-Law No. 33/2021). Maximum duration is 3 years, renewable by mutual agreement. Replaced the previous unlimited-term contract option.
Probation Period
A trial employment period in the UAE, capped at a maximum of 6 months per UAE labor law. During probation, either party can terminate with 14 days' written notice. Employers must notify MOHRE of probation terminations.
Bank Guarantee
A financial guarantee of AED 3,000 per employee that UAE employers must deposit with MOHRE when hiring foreign workers. The guarantee protects employees' end-of-service benefits and repatriation costs if the employer defaults.
Free Zones
Government
MOHRE
Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation — the UAE federal authority regulating private sector employment. MOHRE issues work permits, registers employment contracts, monitors WPS compliance, and enforces Emiratization quotas. Employers interact with MOHRE through Tasheel service centers and the MOHRE mobile app.
Read our MOHRE hiring process guide →Tawteen
MOHRE's official digital platform (tawteen.mohre.gov.ae) for Emiratization compliance. Companies register, post Emirati-targeted job listings, access Emirati job seeker profiles, and submit semi-annual Emiratization progress reports through Tawteen.
Learn about Emiratization compliance →Nafis
A UAE federal program providing financial incentives to Emirati employees working in the private sector and their employers. Benefits include salary top-ups (up to AED 5,000/month for 5 years), child allowances (AED 600/child up to 4), and pension contribution support.
Tasheel
MOHRE's network of service centers where employers submit work permit applications, register employment contracts, and process other labor-related transactions. Also available as a digital service through the MOHRE app.
GDRFA
General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs — the authority processing residence visas, entry permits, and visa renewals in each emirate. Employers interact with GDRFA when sponsoring employee residence visas.
Recruitment
Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
Software that automates the recruitment process by managing job postings, collecting applications, screening resumes, tracking candidates through hiring pipeline stages, and facilitating team collaboration. Rekroot is an AI-powered ATS built specifically for UAE employers with MOHRE compliance features.
Rekroot Match Score™
A 0-100 AI-generated rating that measures how well a candidate's resume matches a specific job description. The score evaluates three dimensions: skills alignment, experience relevance, and qualification match. A score of 80+ typically indicates a strong fit worth interviewing.
Career Page
A company-branded webpage listing open job positions where candidates can view details and apply directly. Rekroot generates branded career pages with customizable logos, colors, and descriptions. Career pages with JobPosting structured data get automatically indexed by Google Jobs for free distribution.
Visa
Golden Visa
A UAE long-term residence visa (5 or 10 years) for investors, entrepreneurs, specialized talents, researchers, outstanding students, and humanitarian pioneers. Golden Visa holders can sponsor family members and do not need a national employer to maintain residency.
Green Visa
A 5-year UAE residence visa for skilled employees, freelancers, and investors. Unlike standard employment visas, the Green Visa allows self-sponsorship without requiring employer sponsorship. Requires a minimum monthly salary of AED 15,000 for employees or a valid freelance permit.
Freelance Visa
A UAE residence permit for self-employed professionals. Available through certain free zones (e.g., Dubai Media City, IFZA) and under the Green Visa program. Freelance visa holders can work with multiple clients without a traditional employer-employee relationship.
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