True HR officeUnited Arab Emirates
Hire in the UAE: EOR and payroll in Dubai
True HR is an Employer of Record (EOR) for the UAE: we legally employ your Dubai team on compliant UAE contracts, run payroll through the Wage Protection System, handle visas and end-of-service benefits, and send you one predictable invoice. You direct the work. First hires can start in weeks, without you opening a UAE entity.
Dubai is the natural first stop for Indian companies going global. The time zone overlaps India by ninety minutes, flights run almost hourly, and the customer base spans the Gulf, Africa and Europe. But employing people here is nothing like employing in India: salaries move through the WPS (Wage Protection System) with wage files reported against registered contracts, end-of-service gratuity accrues from the first day, and the rules differ between mainland companies and the fifty-plus free zones. Setting up your own UAE entity takes months of licensing, capital and office commitments before the first hire can start. An EOR inverts that sequence: True HR employs your Dubai team on compliant UAE contracts, runs WPS-compliant payroll and visa processing, and you direct the day-to-day work. Your Gulf plans start with a hire, not with a licence application.
On the map
Dubai on the True HR map
One of four True HR offices outside India. In Dubai we work through our EOR (Employer of Record): we employ your team and you direct the work.
- True HR office
- EOR market, no office
- Dubai, True HR office
- Berlin, True HR office
- London, True HR office
- Florida, True HR office
- SingaporeEOR market, no office
- New YorkEOR market, no office
- Indiafive offices
India, enlarged
The five offices inside the dashed frame on the map above.
Local compliance
What does hiring in the UAE actually involve?
The UAE employment reality
UAE salaries must flow through the WPS, with wage files that match registered contracts; late or mismatched files bring ministry penalties and can block new visas. End-of-service gratuity accrues from day one and there is no personal income tax to withhold. Our EOR carries the contracts, the wage files and the gratuity accruals, so your Dubai team is compliant from the first payday.
How it works
How EOR works in the UAE, in three steps
01
You pick the talent
You interview and choose exactly who joins your team, anywhere in 180+ countries. Compensation and role are your call; we advise on local norms.
02
We employ them locally
Your hire signs a compliant contract with a local legal employer, drafted to that country's employment law. No entity to open, no local directors, no months of setup.
03
We run payroll and benefits
Salary, taxes, social contributions and benefits run and remitted on the local calendar, with statutory registrations and filings owned end to end.
What we do here
Six service lines, available in Dubai
The full True HR stack applies wherever you see us listed: one accountable team from the first offer letter to the last settlement.
Hiring at 5% of CTC
91% internal matching effectiveness
Payroll processing
Salary registers, bank advice, digital payslips
Statutory compliance
Filed before due dates, every cycle
Employee lifecycle
One file per employee, always current
HR policies and advisory
Every letter reviewed by labour law lawyers
Global EOR, 180+ countries
Hire wherever the talent is
Dubai is one of nine True HR locations: Bangalore | Mysuru | Hyderabad | Chennai | Mumbai | Dubai | Berlin | London | Florida
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a UAE entity to hire in Dubai?
No. True HR's EOR employs your Dubai team on compliant UAE contracts under our local arrangements, runs payroll and visas, and invoices you monthly. You choose the people, set the pay and direct the work. If you later incorporate your own entity, employees transfer across cleanly.
How does the Wage Protection System affect my Dubai team?
The WPS requires salaries to be paid through registered channels, with wage files that match each registered contract in amount and timing. Late or mismatched files trigger ministry penalties and can freeze new work permits. As the employer of record, we file compliant wage files every month so that risk never reaches you.
How quickly can a Dubai hire start through True HR?
Typically within a few weeks, including contract issue and visa processing, against the months a mainland or free zone entity takes to establish. You send the offer terms, we issue a compliant UAE contract, process the visa and register the employee for WPS payroll.
Ready to stop worrying about people's money?
Book a 30-minute scoping call. We will map your headcount, states and current setup, and send a firm, slab-wise quote within two working days.
Bangalore | Mysuru | Hyderabad | Chennai | Mumbai | Dubai | Berlin | London | Florida