HR Consultancy in the UAE
HR consulting for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and the free zones. UAE Labour Law Decree 33 of 2021, MoHRE compliance, Wage Protection System payroll, Emiratisation under Nafis, organisation design, and HR policy frameworks, delivered by consultants who run this every week.
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See EOR optionsTalent Arabia is an HR consultancy serving the UAE from our GCC base, with consultants who advise Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and free zone employers on UAE Labour Law compliance, Emiratisation strategy, salary benchmarking, organisation design, HR policy frameworks, payroll outsourcing on the Wage Protection System, and workforce planning. Our advice is grounded in Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the current UAE Labour Law), MoHRE operating practice, Nafis Emiratisation targets, and the practical mechanics of running HR across mainland and free zone entities. ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified.
7
Emirates covered
40+
Free Zones served
2
ISO Certifications
13
Sector specialisms
What makes us different
Built for the UAE HR reality
A consultancy that understands MoHRE, the free zones, and Nafis, not a generic global advisor reading a country brief.
UAE Labour Law fluent
Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021 changed every UAE employment contract. We rebuild handbooks, contracts, and notice clauses to match the post-2022 rules on fixed-term contracts, gratuity, and probation.
Nafis Emiratisation, done right
The 2 percent annual Emiratisation increase under Nafis is now enforceable with material fines for missed quotas. We build pipelines that meet the ratio with people who actually stay, not numbers that churn.
ISO 27001 secured data handling
Your HR consultant touches payroll, contracts, and Emirates ID data. Our ISO/IEC 27001:2022 information security certification means that data sits behind audited controls, not in someone's Dropbox.
HR consulting practice areas
A complete HR advisory stack for the UAE
Scoped to outcomes, not hours.
HR Policy and Handbook Design
Contracts, employee handbooks, code of conduct, and grievance procedures aligned to UAE Labour Law 33 of 2021.
Emiratisation Strategy (Nafis)
Sector-specific Emiratisation roadmaps, role-band targeting, sourcing through Nafis platform, and retention programmes.
Payroll on the WPS
Run UAE payroll through the Wage Protection System with gratuity accruals, leave management, and MoHRE-compliant payslips.
Workforce Analytics
Attrition, time-to-hire, cost-per-hire, Emiratisation ratios, and salary benchmarks for UAE operations.
Engagement Surveys
Annual and pulse engagement studies in English and Arabic, plus action-planning support that gets read.
HR Operations Outsourcing
Run your HR back office for you, from onboarding to leave tracking to exit interviews. Common for UAE entities under 100 staff.
UAE HR intelligence
What you need to know about running HR in the UAE
UAE Labour Law changed in February 2022. Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 replaced the 1980 Labour Law. The biggest practical change: unlimited contracts are gone. Every UAE employment contract is now fixed-term, renewable. Many handbooks and contract templates still on file in UAE companies reference the old law. We rewrite to the current rules.
Gratuity rules tightened. The new law clarified end-of-service gratuity calculation at 21 days of basic salary per year for the first five years, and 30 days per year thereafter, capped at two years of pay. Hidden trap: probation period termination and resignation under probation have specific notice and gratuity treatments that differ from the headline rule.
Wage Protection System is mandatory for every employer. Salaries paid outside WPS trigger MoHRE penalties and can block new visa issuance. We audit your WPS file structure, salary categorisation, and the new minimum-thresholds for sponsorship eligibility.
Nafis Emiratisation is no longer voluntary. Private sector companies with 50 or more skilled employees must achieve 2 percent Emiratisation, increasing by 2 percent annually toward a 10 percent target. Missing the ratio carries financial penalties per under-hired Emirati. We build sector-specific Emiratisation roadmaps that hit the number with retention, not turnover.
Free zone HR is not the same as mainland HR. JAFZA, DAFZA, DMCC, RAKEZ, DIFC, ADGM, and the other free zones each have their own employment authority, visa quota, and reporting cadence. DIFC and ADGM operate under their own employment laws, not the federal Labour Law. We split your HR setup accordingly so the same handbook does not get sent to entities under different rules.
The Golden Visa shifts retention economics. For senior, specialised, and high-earning employees, sponsorship of a 10-year Golden Visa is now a real retention lever. We help employers structure when to offer Golden Visa sponsorship versus standard work visas, and what to ask for in return.
Most HR consultancies in the UAE have no external certifications. We do.
FAQ
HR consultancy in the UAE, common questions
Talent Arabia is among the top HR consultancies serving UAE employers, with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, deep familiarity with UAE Labour Law Decree 33 of 2021, MoHRE operating practice, and the Nafis Emiratisation framework. We cover Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and the major free zones across 13 sectors.
A UAE HR consultant brings three things in-house teams typically lack: depth on the 2022 Labour Law and its evolving MoHRE practice, benchmark data across 13 sectors, and a back-office for payroll on the Wage Protection System. We complement your team rather than replace it.
It replaced the 1980 Labour Law. Key changes: no more unlimited contracts (all employment is now fixed-term, renewable), redefined gratuity (21 days per year for the first five years, 30 days thereafter, capped at two years pay), updated probation rules, clearer non-compete enforcement, and tightened end-of-service procedures.
Yes. Private sector companies with 50 or more skilled employees must meet rising Emiratisation quotas, currently advancing by 2 percent per year. We build sourcing pipelines through Nafis, design role bands that map to MoHRE skilled categories, and run retention programmes that prevent quota churn.
Yes. We run end-to-end UAE payroll on the WPS with gratuity accruals, leave accounting, MoHRE-compliant payslips, and full audit trail. Our ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification covers the data security side.
Yes. Mainland and free zone employers have different rules. DIFC and ADGM operate under their own employment laws. JAFZA, DAFZA, DMCC, RAKEZ, and other free zones use the federal Labour Law plus zone-specific visa and reporting. We split your HR setup so the right rules apply to the right entity.
Single-project engagements such as a policy refresh, salary benchmark, or Emiratisation roadmap run AED 15,000 to 60,000. Multi-month retainers start around AED 8,000 per month. Free 90-minute discovery call to scope your specific requirement.
Call +968 9419 4167, email [email protected], or fill in the form at /contact. We schedule a 90-minute UAE-focused discovery call, then send a fixed-fee proposal within three business days.
We hire across the GCC
Pick a location to see how our team works there.
Ready to upgrade HR in the UAE?
90-minute discovery call. Fixed-fee proposal within three business days. No retainers required to start.