Who is covered by UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021?
All private-sector establishments, employers and workers in the UAE. Article 3 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 excludes employees of federal and local government, the armed forces, police and security, and domestic workers, and lets the Cabinet exclude other categories. UAE nationals in the private sector are covered, with pensions under their own law.
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Free zones
Article 3 applies the law to the private sector generally. Some financial free zones have their own employment law, so employers there should check which applies to them.
Construction companies
Contractors, subcontractors and labour suppliers in the private sector are all covered. Each employer is responsible for its own workers' contracts, wages and WPS payments.
How SupaJack Construct helps
Employee records in SupaJack Construct hold the contract details, designation, salary components and documents, and payroll, leave and final settlement all read from the same record.
Related tools and guides
See the UAE labour law guide for contractors, the final settlement calculator, the gratuity calculator, the annual leave calculator, the unpaid leave deduction calculator, payroll and WPS in SupaJack Construct, time and attendance and the meaning of basic salary.
Worked example
A contractor employs 220 site workers, 30 office staff and 2 house drivers for the owner's family. The 250 company staff are covered by Decree-Law 33. The family's domestic drivers are excluded and fall under the domestic workers' law.
Questions people ask
Are domestic workers covered?
No, Article 3 excludes them.
Are UAE nationals covered?
Yes, in the private sector.
Can the Cabinet exclude others?
Yes, on the Minister's proposal.