ADGM Employment Regulations

Replaces the Employment Regulations 2019 from 1 April 2025 for ADGM-registered employers and their employees, who are exempt from the federal Labour Law; supported by the Employment Regulations (Temporary Work Permit) Rules 2024 and the Employment Regulations (Fees) Rules 2024. The full text is published in the ADGM rulebook hosted by Thomson Reuters.

Summary

The ADGM Employment Regulations 2024 (ER 2024) are the employment law of Abu Dhabi Global Market. They took effect on 1 April 2025 and apply to ADGM registered entities and their employees. ADGM is a financial free zone exempt from the UAE Federal Labour Law, so an ADGM employer contracts, pays, manages and terminates staff under these Regulations and their subordinate rules, not under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.

The ER 2024 replaced the ADGM Employment Regulations 2019 and the Employment Regulations 2019 (Compensation Awards and Limits) Rules 2019, both of which were in force until 31 March 2025 and are now repealed. Two sets of subordinate rules sit under the ER 2024: the ADGM Employment Regulations (Temporary Work Permit) Rules 2024 (TWP Rules) and the Employment Regulations (Fees) Rules 2024.

The Regulations are administered by the Employment Affairs Office (EAO), a dedicated office within ADGM that oversees their operation, provides guidance and liaises with stakeholders. Its stated objectives are to set minimum employment standards for employees, to promote a fair balance of rights and obligations between employees and employers, and to foster employment practices that contribute to the prosperity of ADGM. The EAO does not give legal advice. It publishes FAQs and guidance on the ER 2024 (February 2025), a standard employment contract template for the ER 2024, FAQs on workplace continuity and workforce management (March 2026), and work permit guidance.

One requirement the ADGM portal states expressly concerns people who work in ADGM without being employees. It is mandatory for an ADGM registered entity that engages a Non-Employee, including interns, secondees and consultants, to obtain and maintain a Temporary Work Permit for that person and to comply with all requirements of the TWP Rules; Non-Employee is defined in Rule 1(1)(ii) of the TWP Rules. Employers and employees must also comply with the ADGM Work Permit requirements explained in the Work Permit Guidance, and permit processing is handled by the Registration Authority's Corporate Affairs team.

The Regulations are in force. The ADGM portal page read for this record describes the framework and links to the full text, which is published in the ADGM rulebook; the detailed provisions on contracts, working time, leave, pay, end-of-service entitlements and termination are in that text and are not reproduced on the portal page.

Who it applies to

ADGM registered entities as employers and their employees, who are outside the UAE Federal Labour Law; also ADGM entities that engage Non-Employees such as interns, secondees and consultants, who must hold a Temporary Work Permit under the TWP Rules.

Contents

English official text in 69 sections. Open the full text or jump to a provision:

1. Section 1 — No waiver
2. Section 2 — No false representations
3. Section 3 — Hiring children and youth
4. Section 4 — Visa and permits
5. Section 5 — Right to a written contract
6. Section 6 — Amendments to the Employment Contract
7. Section 7 — Right to a pay statement
8. Section 8 — Probationary period
9. Section 9 — Employment records6
10. Section 10 — Pro-rata entitlements for Part-Time Employees
11. Section 11 — Remote Employees
12. Section 12 — Pay period
13. Section 13 — No unauthorised deductions
14. Section 14 — Late payment after termination
15. Section 15 — Maximum weekly working time
16. Section 16 — Excessive hours
17. Section 17 — Reduced hours during Ramadan
18. Section 18 — Daily rest
19. Section 19 — Weekly rest period
20. Section 20 — Breaks
21. Section 21 — Vacation Leave
22. Section 22 — Payment in lieu of Vacation Leave
23. Section 23 — Dates on which leave is taken
24. Section 24 — Leave during the first year of employment
25. Section 25 — Entitlements under other provisions
26. Section 26 — Entitlement to National Holidays
27. Section 27 — Special leave
28. Section 28 — Bereavement leave
29. Section 29 — Sick leave
30. Section 30 — Sick pay
31. Section 31 — National and Reserve Service
32. Section 32 — Maternity Leave
33. Section 33 — Maternity Pay
34. Section 34 — Paternity Leave and Paternity pay
35. Section 35 — Right to time off for ante-natal care and adoption proceedings
36. Section 36 — Right to remuneration for time off under section 35
37. Section 37 — General duties of Employers to their Employees
38. Section 38 — Health and safety duties
39. Section 39 — Ventilation
40. Section 40 — Temperature in indoor workplaces
41. Section 41 — Lighting
42. Section 42 — Cleanliness
43. Section 43 — Room dimensions and space
44. Section 44 — Workstations and seating
45. Section 45 — Sanitary conveniences
46. Section 46 — Drinking water
47. Section 47 — No penalties for preventing health and safety risks
48. Section 48 — Work-related injury and illness
49. Section 49 — Health insurance
50. Section 50 — Liability of Employer for Employee conduct
51. Section 51 — Contraventions
52. Section 52 — General duties of Employees
53. Section 53 — Discrimination
54. Section 54 — Victimisation
55. Section 55 — Retaliation by Employer
56. Section 56 — Rights of Employer and Employee to minimum notice of termination
57. Section 57 — Termination for cause
58. Section 58 — Right to written statement of reasons for termination
59. Section 59 — Right to an employment reference
60. Section 60 — Pension for UAE and GCC nationals
61. Section 61 — End of service gratuity
62. Section 62 — Repatriation Flight
63. Section 63 — Procedures and Powers of the Registrar
64. Section 70 — Rule‐making power of the Board
65. Section 71 — Administration of the Regulations
66. Section 72 — Court declaration and compensation
67. Section 73 — Fees Payable to the Registrar
68. Section 74 — Interpretation
69. Section 75 — Short title, application, commencement

Key provisions

Obligations and deadlines

• Employ staff on terms that comply with the ER 2024 from 1 April 2025; the EAO publishes a standard employment contract template.
• Obtain and maintain a Temporary Work Permit for every Non-Employee engaged, including interns, secondees and consultants.
• Comply with ADGM Work Permit requirements for employees as set out in the Work Permit Guidance.
• Pay the fees prescribed by the Employment Regulations (Fees) Rules 2024 for permits and related services.

Penalties

The ADGM portal page read for this record does not set out the fines or compensation limits under the ER 2024; the Compensation Awards and Limits Rules 2019 that accompanied the 2019 Regulations were repealed on 1 April 2025, and the sanctions now applicable are in the text of the ER 2024 and its subordinate rules in the ADGM rulebook.

History and citations

“Cites” and “Cited by” are built automatically from references in the full texts held in this library; they cover only instruments in the library.

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