UAE Work Permits: Company Classification, New Fees And Rules

On 4 December 2017, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (formerly Ministry of Labour) ("MOL") announced the implementation of a new Ministerial Resolution (No. 729 of 2017) which sets out a revised fee structure for issuing work permits to companies in respect of new employees that they wish to hire.

Under the new system, companies are classified in categories depending on the percentage of skilled employees they employ and the cultural diversity of the employees. This article looks at the different categories and the revised work permit fees which are now applicable.

Skilled/unskilled employees and cultural diversity

A skilled employee is one whose job requires an attested academic degree higher than a high school degree or equivalent. An unskilled employee is one whose job does not require an attested academic degree.