UAE Minimum Wage 2025: No Official Law, But Salary Rules Are Tightening
New Delhi: As of 2025, the United Arab Emirates has not introduced a formal nationwide minimum wage for private-sector workers. However, wages in the country are increasingly regulated through labour laws, visa requirements, and mandatory payment systems, creating what experts describe as a “de facto minimum wage” structure.
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has the authority to set a national wage floor, but no binding minimum wage has been enforced so far. Instead, salary protection is ensured through employment contracts and the Wage Protection System (WPS), a government-monitored platform that tracks timely salary payments.
Employers failing to comply with WPS rules face penalties including fines, suspension of new work permits, and company blacklisting.
Expanded Wage Protection Coverage
Recent reforms have expanded WPS coverage to include domestic and semi-professional workers, such as nannies, caregivers, private tutors, and farm technicians. This marks a significant step toward standardising wage payments across job categories and improving accountability.
While wages vary by role, experience, and emirate, industry benchmarks now serve as informal salary floors.
What Workers Typically Earn in the UAE
Domestic workers such as housemaids, drivers, and nannies generally earn between AED 1,200 and AED 1,800 per month, depending on nationality and experience. WPS compliance is now mandatory, ensuring regular salary transfers.
In construction and skilled trades, unskilled labourers typically earn AED 1,200–1,500 per month, while skilled workers like electricians and plumbers can earn AED 2,000 to AED 4,500 per month. These roles are protected by written contracts and labour dispute mechanisms.
Retail and service-sector employees, including supermarket staff and delivery workers, usually earn AED 2,500 to AED 4,000 per month, with higher wages in cities like Dubai compared to Sharjah or Ajman.
Office and administrative staff earn around AED 3,000 to AED 5,000 per month, with higher salaries common in large firms and public-sector-linked entities.
Professionals with university degrees or technical expertise, including engineers and IT specialists, typically earn AED 5,000 to AED 12,000 per month or more, depending on role and sector.
Visa Rules Act as Wage Filters
Although no minimum wage law exists, immigration rules indirectly regulate pay levels. To sponsor family members, expatriates must earn at least AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. Employment contracts must be registered with MoHRE and specify salaries in UAE dirhams.
The WPS requires salaries to be paid within 10 days of the due date, with delays beyond 15 days triggering automatic alerts and possible sanctions.
Rising Costs and Reform Pressure
With rising housing, education, and healthcare costs in cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, pressure is growing to formalise wage protections. Labour advocates and international observers have called for sector-based or inflation-linked minimum wages to protect low-income workers.
MoHRE has indicated it is exploring mechanisms to address income disparities, including flexible wage models based on sector or emirate.
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople
While the UAE still lacks a legally mandated national minimum wage, the framework around salary payments has become significantly stricter. With WPS enforcement, visa-linked income thresholds, and sector-based benchmarks, worker pay is increasingly structured. As living costs rise and labour reforms deepen, a formal, flexible minimum wage system appears not just possible—but increasingly inevitable.
