Every UAE employment contract needs to cover a specific set of mandatory areas under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Missing one of them, or getting the numbers wrong, is a common source of disputes down the line — here's the checklist.
Only limited-term contracts exist now
Since the 2022 labour law reform, only limited-term (fixed-term) contracts are issued in the UAE. Older unlimited contracts that predate the reform continue under their original terms unless converted, but every new contract is fixed-term.
The mandatory clauses
- Party details — employer name, trade licence number, and employee details
- Job title and description — the role and its core duties
- Place of work — where the employee is based
- Contract term — the fixed duration, renewable by mutual agreement
- Probation period — if any, capped at 6 months and not extendable (see our full probation rules guide)
- Salary — basic salary and each allowance stated separately
- Working hours — standard 8 hours/day, Sunday–Thursday under UAE labour law
- Notice period — 30–90 days, the same length for both employer and employee
Getting the probation clause right
This is the single most common contract error. Probation can't exceed 6 months from the start date, and can't be extended under any circumstances — not by addendum, not by mutual agreement. If you're drafting a contract, validate the exact dates with the Probation Period Checker before finalising.
What notice period should you use?
Anywhere between 30 and 90 days, as agreed between employer and employee — but it must be the same length for both sides. A common default is 30 or 60 days.
MOHRE registration is separate
A contract drafted with all the right clauses still isn't complete on its own: UAE employment contracts must be registered electronically with MOHRE (or the free zone equivalent) in the standard format, in Arabic with parallel translations permitted. A well-drafted private contract is the starting point, not a substitute for that registration.
Build the draft
The Employment Contract Generator covers every mandatory clause above — party details, role, salary breakdown, probation, working hours, and notice — with a live preview, downloadable as a PDF. It's a solid starting draft, not a replacement for MOHRE registration itself.