The UAE government issued fines to 42 domestic worker recruitment offices for breaching employment rules in the first half of the year.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said it recorded 135 offences committed by the companies under a nationwide clampdown aimed at enforcing key regulations and raising standards in the sector.
The authority said 106 of the breaches were due to recruiters failing to deliver refunds – either full or partial – to employers in cases where domestic workers had absconded or been returned to recruitment offices.
Under UAE labour law, recruitment offices must provide a refund to employers within two weeks in such cases.
Domestic workers – such as maids, nannies, cooks and gardeners – can be returned to recruiters for a number of reasons, including not being deemed competent or suitable for the role or being found medically unfit.
Maintaining trust
The ministry emphasised the importance of abiding by the procedures in place for the refunding of recruitment fees to safeguard employers' rights, ensure balance in contractual relationships and curb practices that may lead to disputes.
It said the remaining 29 violations related to failures by some offices to comply with approved terms and procedures regulating domestic worker recruitment activities.
The ministry said it was taking the “appropriate administrative and financial legal measures against violators” but did not specify the penalties imposed.
The ministry said it would continue its monitoring campaigns to not only identify breaches and hold recruiters to account but also to promote a “culture of compliance” within the industry.
Its comprehensive oversight system includes inspection, tracking and continuous evaluation.
The ministry praised the overall level of compliance among the 138 licensed domestic worker recruitment offices in the Emirates.
The ministry urged those hiring domestic workers to ensure they deal only with licensed recruitment offices listed on its website.
Taking action
In February, the UAE announced it had closed 12 offices involved in the unlicensed recruitment of domestic workers. The cases were referred to prosecutors. The ministry revealed that 300 violations by 57 domestic worker recruitment offices were detected in 2025.
In 2022, a domestic labour law boosting workers' rights and clamping down on rogue recruiters and employers came into effect.
The updated legislation strengthened regulations safeguarding thousands of employees across the Emirates.
The directives expanded the number of offences, which are punishable by fines and/or prison terms, for breaches of working conditions and rules. Punishments include fines of between Dh20,000 ($5,450) and Dh100,000 and up to six months in prison for anyone who provides false information or fake documents when employing domestic helpers.
