A number of recently announced initiatives could introduce
potentially significant changes to the rules governing the
workforce in the UAE.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Labour promulgated
Ministerial Resolutions Nos. 764, 765 and 766 of 2015. According to
the reports of Ministry of Labour spokesmen that appeared in the
local press, the new resolutions were designed to deter a number of
undesirable practices. Chief among these was the practice by
recruiters of luring potential employees to the UAE with attractive
job offers, only to change the terms of employment when the new
recruits arrive.
Specifically, Ministerial Resolution No. 764 of 2015 requires
that an employee sign an offer letter in advance of being recruited
and that the signed offer letter support the application for the
employee's residence visa and labour permit –- an
application that the employer must submit to the concerned
authorities in the UAE. A signed offer letter must also support
