UAE Workforce Compliance
Compliance on paper vs. compliance in practice
MOHRE inspectors now ask for attendance evidence first. Tipsoi turns site, camp and transport movement into a verifiable chain of records — ready for inspection at any time.
700,000+
MOHRE site inspections in 2024
29,000
Labour law violations recorded in 2024
AED 1,000,000
Maximum fine per violation since Aug 2024
The odds have changed
The paperwork you used to skip is now the first thing they ask for
430,000 → 668,000
MOHRE inspection visits, 2023 to 2024 — a 55% jump in one year
12,509
Establishments found violating labour, health and OSH requirements in 2024
5,400+
Establishments already in breach halfway through 2025, on pace to exceed 2024
What a MOHRE inspector asks for on-site
Confirmed in current 2026 inspection guidance
- Evidence of employee time attendance, sign in / sign out
- Company trade licence & establishment card
- Labour card / MOHRE contract copy
- Evidence employees are actively working
- Leave approvals, balances and absence records
- Employment contracts and any amendments
Attendance · Accommodation · Transport · Visa
MOHRE is Already Fining Non-Compliant Sites. Is Your Workforce Next?
Mandatory Attendance Recording
Labour Law 33/2021, Art. 17 & 65
- Maintain accurate daily attendance records for every worker
- Records must show actual hours worked
- Must be available for MOHRE inspection at any time
AED 10,000–20,000 per violation, escalating on repeat
WPS Attendance Compliance
Cabinet Resolution 46/2013 · Ministerial Resolution 340/2026
- WPS submissions must reflect actual hours, overtime & deductions
- MOHRE cross-checks payroll against attendance during inspections
- Discrepancies are treated as wage theft
Hiring blacklist + AED 5,000–50,000 fine
Max Daily / Weekly & Overtime Hours
Labour Law 33/2021, Art. 17, 19 & 20
- 8-hour day, 48-hour week limit (exceptions during Ramadan)
- 2-hour daily limit on overtime
- Pay rate must match exact hours and time worked
AED 1,000–5,000 per worker, per violation
Employee Leave Tracking
UAE Labour Law 33/2021, Art. 29
- Leave records must be maintained and reconciled against attendance
- Prevents disputes over unpaid or unrecorded leave
AED 5,000 per incident, up to AED 1,000,000 for repeat cases
Real-Time Occupancy Monitoring
Dubai Civil Defence Resolution
- Labour accommodation guidelines require an evacuation plan
- A designated muster point must be in place
- Must be able to account for all residents during an emergency
Criminal liability if residents are unaccounted for
Passenger Manifest & Headcount
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 37
- Police reports mandated for transit accidents
- Reports must include worker's name, age, occupation, address & nationality
Civil liability; insurance claim rejection
Visa Expiry Monitoring & Renewal
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021
- Every worker must hold a valid MOHRE work permit
- Work permit must be tied to a valid, unexpired residence visa
Fines up to AED 1,000,000 for irregular immigration status
Precedent
This has already happened to real UAE contractors
Arabtec
2008 to 2009
- One of the UAE's largest contractors at the time, workforce of 62,000
- BBC Panorama exposed severe overcrowding at the Nad Al Sheba labour camp
- Over 2,000 workers relocated; the camp was later dismantled entirely
Actco General Contracting
2009
- Dubai-based firm, roughly 700 workers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
- Lost labour court cases involving 30+ workers owed 6 to 18 months of unpaid wages
- Camps in Sonapur and DIP described as unsanitary, with AC and power cut repeatedly
The gaps that caused both cases — unmonitored occupancy, no real-time headcount, manual records — still exist at most sites today. Enforcement has only gotten stricter since.
How Binghatti is Navigating Compliance
Jebel Ali Residential Labour Camp
- Fixed biometric device at accommodation entry/exit
- Captures real time headcount of who is resident, who is on site, who is off site
- Maps to Worker Headcount & Real-Time Occupancy Monitoring.
Verifies real-time worker presence against registered labour accommodation records to meet mandatory housing and headcount obligations.
Bus / Daily Camp-to-Site Transport
- Portable device used on the bus itself
- Captures passenger and headcount per trip, camp to site and back
- Biometric tracking secures duty-of-care with instant, insurance-compliant manifests during transit accidents.
Confirms exactly who was on board to mitigate work injury claims under UAE labour law
Active Construction Site
- Biometric Devices at site.
- Captures site entry/exit, layered by main contractor, subcontractor, temporary labourers.
- Track exact working hours & overtime.
- Real-time headcount for all the employees in site.
Navigate compliance with real-time attendance, overtime, and layered contractor headcount against MOHRE’s working hour and OSH rules, giving verifiable records.