UAE: Employers in the UAE have been reminded about the risks of directly recruiting domestic workers from abroad.
Under this arrangement, an employer selects a specific worker instead of choosing someone from a recruitment office’s available list.
However, the employer takes responsibility for the recruitment process and its possible legal consequences.
This means families may not receive the same agency-backed guarantees available under regular recruitment packages.
Direct recruitment should also not be treated as a private or informal hiring deal.
A domestic worker must still have the proper employment contract, entry requirements, medical examination, residence documents, and work permit issued through the correct government process.
Licensed offices provide added protection
The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, or MoHRE, advises employers to deal with licensed domestic worker recruitment offices.
These offices must follow government rules on recruitment, contracts, fees, and worker protection.
Depending on the approved recruitment package and circumstances, an office may be required to refund all or part of the recruitment cost.
Refund rules may apply if the worker ends the contract without a lawful reason, is medically unfit, cannot perform the agreed duties, or leaves the employer’s home.
MoHRE has previously said that approved offices provide a two-year guarantee under the applicable rules.
These protections may not apply in the same way when an employer chooses direct recruitment.
Employers cannot pass costs to workers
Even when recruiting a named worker, employers must respect the worker’s rights under UAE law.
Employers cannot charge domestic workers recruitment or employment expenses.
They must also provide the salary stated in the contract, suitable accommodation, meals, medical care, rest periods, and respectful working conditions.
Passport confiscation, unlicensed recruitment, and employment without the required permit may lead to penalties.
Check the office before paying
Families should confirm that a recruitment office is licensed before signing an agreement or making a payment.
They should read the recruitment package carefully, ask what refund or replacement protection is included, and keep all contracts and receipts.
Employers planning to recruit a specific person should first check the requirements with MoHRE.
Applications for a new domestic worker permit may cover workers recruited from inside or outside the UAE, but government conditions still apply.
For help, employers may contact MoHRE through 600 590000.
Note: Direct recruitment is not described as a blanket ban under the UAE rules reviewed. The warning is that employers choosing this route carry greater responsibility and may not receive the standard guarantees provided through licensed offices.
