Workmen's compensation insurance in the UAE

What does the employer owe after a work injury?

Federal law puts the cost of a work injury on the employer.

The amounts are in the Decree-Law.¹ The reporting steps and tables are in Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022, in force from 16 April 2022.² Police investigate whether the injury was deliberate self-injury, deliberate misconduct, under alcohol or drugs, or a deliberate breach of posted instructions. Under the Executive Regulations no compensation is due if a deliberate breach of posted precautions is proven and the employer met the stated controls. Treatment there includes hospital stay, surgery, x-rays and travel for treatment.³

Check the reporting steps in Art 3 of Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022 after any work injury.

How is disability compensation calculated?

The u.ae guidance page gives permanent total disability as 24 months’ basic salary, between AED 18,000 and AED 200,000. For partial disability it gives the schedule percentage multiplied by 24 months’ basic wage, with the same floor and cap. It also counts commuting accidents where there is no deviation, and says compensation is paid within 10 days of the medical report.⁴

Table 3 sets, for example, 35% for loss of the thumb or four fingers of the right hand and 25% for the left. On the portal formula, a hypothetical worker on a basic wage of AED 5,000 who loses the right thumb receives 35% of AED 120,000, which is AED 42,000.

Does federal law require you to buy a policy?

No federal text requiring a policy has been identified. Art 13(9) of the Decree-Law tells the employer to bear the expenses of insurances “determined by the legislation in force”.¹ That refers out and names no policy. The Decree-Law uses the word insurance only there and in a wage deduction clause. Later amendments are not covered here, so check for them.

The domestic workers law comes closest. Art 11(9) keeps the employer’s injury obligation in place unless the insurance company pays the compensation.⁵ It recognises insurer payment and does not require a policy.

Dubai’s construction permit policy must cover material damage and civil liability to third parties and does not name employees, so it is not evidence of a workmen’s duty.⁶

Ask MOHRE about Ministerial Resolution 657 of 2022, which the portal lists as the rules for handling injuries.

Which free zones require a policy?

Ten free zones state a policy condition in their own documents, and the triggers differ.

In DMCC, cancelling all employee visas ends the need to submit a policy.⁷ Ask your free zone whether the rule applies to a licence with no employees.

Does a contract or lease require it?

A client contract, tender or lease can require workmen’s compensation or employers’ liability even where no licence rule does. One insurer says so for client contracts and tenders.⁸ A filed KIZAD Logistics Park lease has the tenant insure workers’ compensation and employer’s liability (clause 21.1).⁹ The KEZAD Group standard lease terms, Version 4, require annual workers’ compensation and employer’s liability (cl 17.1).¹⁰ The DAFZ standard lease adds worker’s compensation for contractor works.¹¹ It is not known how common such clauses are.

Check the insurance clause in your contract or lease before you sign.

Do DIFC and ADGM require a policy?

DIFC and ADGM set a liability for employer negligence and name no policy. DIFC Employment Law Art 55 says that where injury or death arises from employment and from the employer’s negligence, the employee may be entitled to damages of up to two years’ Annual Wage as a court determines.¹² ADGM section 48 has the employer obtain medical assistance at its own expense where health insurance does not cover it. Where the employee proves employer negligence, it adds court damages and a fine up to level 8. Where death results from employer negligence, a court may award the estate not less than 24 months’ wages.¹³

Can an injured worker claim under the Civil Transactions Law as well?

The law in force from 1 June 2026 gives a separate route to compensation for bodily harm. It requires compensation for bodily harm (Art 259(1)) and, where blood money or Arsh is due, lets a court award material and moral harm not covered by it (Art 259(2)). A principal is liable for harm by a subordinate in or because of their duty (Art 266), with recourse against the person who caused it (Art 267). A person controlling mechanical machinery is liable for harm it causes, except what cannot be prevented (Art 271). A condition exempting or mitigating liability for a harmful act is void (Art 257).¹⁴ The government summary says the new law permits combining blood money with additional damages.¹⁵

The texts cited here do not say whether the labour law amounts cap such a claim, or whether a worker can claim both.

One insurer’s page separates the two covers. Workers’ compensation responds to statutory obligations. Employers’ liability may extend to claims alleging employer negligence, and may be included, added as an extension or sold separately.⁸ The same page says premium may depend on occupations, payroll, activities, work locations, claims history and limits.

Ask your insurer whether employers’ liability cover is included with your workers’ compensation policy.

Is WPP the same as workmen’s compensation?

No. WPP is a different scheme with a small work injury element. WPP cover includes medical expenses for work injuries and occupational diseases, inside an AED 20,000 limit per worker, where the employer fails to pay. The employer must repay the insurer.¹⁶ See the WPP guide.

Evidence table

Source	Statement	Against the legal texts
Market pages, undated, and one insurer's blog of 20 March 2025	Mandatory under UAE labour law, or mandated for employees	The Decree-Law has no such term
One law firm's page, undated	Mandatory under labour law for every employer	The Decree-Law has no such term
One market page, undated	Mandatory for free zone companies in Dubai	Authority documents support it for DMCC, Jafza and DWTC. DIFC has no such term. Other zones vary
One business setup guide, 18 September 2026	Not required by federal law, though free zones often impose it	Consistent
One insurer's page, undated	Labour law sets employer obligations. A separate insurance requirement may arise from licensing, free zone, contract or tender terms	Consistent

The small print

Where the compensation rules sit. Art 37(3) states the 24 months for death only. Art 7 of Cabinet Resolution 33 refers to the tables. Neither states the 10-day limit or the formula that the portal gives.⁴

Row e of the evidence table. It is the insurer page cited above.⁸

DMCC. The FAQ and the guideline differ. FAQ Q32 says all member companies and Q33 says companies sponsoring employees. PIC and PAC card holders are not required. The FAQ excludes shareholders, while the guideline covers active employees whatever their title.¹⁷ DMCC’s published Licensing Rules¹⁸ and Company Regulations¹⁹ contain the word insurance 0 times. The requirement sits in the renewal FAQ and the application guideline. The FAQ also cites an older federal law, so its reference looks out of date. Ask DMCC for the position on a given unit.

Jafza. The service guide lists the policy for Jafza-sponsored employees and states no limit.²⁰ The Rules require annual cover for employees, and copies and the insurer’s certificate go to Jafza each year.²¹ The Jafza rules page lists the Ninth Edition.²²

Shams. The 2023 regulations apply to an employer. The 2017 regulations say every company or branch, with no employee trigger.²³²⁴ Both are kept.

DWTC, KEZAD, Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone and the International Humanitarian City. The DWTC rules have no issue date in the text.²⁵ The KEZAD and International Humanitarian City texts define the Labour Law as Federal Law 8 of 1980.²⁶²⁷ The Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone text dates from 2004.²⁸

Dubai South. Rules 36.1 to 36.3 of the 2025 rules say all entities hold workmen’s compensation. The file is not matched to an official Dubai South page, so ask Dubai South.²⁹

Placement. Art 82(3) of Decree-Law 6 of 2025 bars a juridical person in the State from insuring its personnel in the State with insurers outside the State or in a financial free zone. Art 82(4) gives exceptions.³⁰

Severe injury data. Seven Abu Dhabi hospitals recorded 7,019 adults with an Injury Severity Score of 12 or above from 2014 to 2023. Of those, 1,318 (18.8%) were work related. 98.6% were male. Falls over 1 metre were 52.7% and struck by object 17.9%. 43.0% went to intensive care and in-hospital mortality was 8.9%.³¹ The registry has no worker denominator, so these are not injury rates, and it says nothing about minor injuries or other emirates.

Workforce data. In the 2025 Labour Force Survey, paid employees were 0.96 of employed persons aged 15 and over and the private sector was 0.75.³² The workbook gives shares, not head counts or insured workers.

Market figures. The Central Bank report does not show workmen’s compensation separately.³³