How UAE Salaries Work
UAE employment contracts can split compensation into basic salary, housing, transport, and other allowances. The distinction matters because different legal calculations use different wage bases: end-of-service gratuity and overtime can use basic wage, while pension is calculated on the applicable contribution account salary. Use the amounts recorded in your contract and pension registration.
Basic Salary vs Allowances
There is no universal allowance split that this calculator can safely infer. Enter exact contract amounts when available. If you know only the basic percentage, the percentage mode conserves the total package and reports the remainder as uncategorised allowances; it does not manufacture housing or transport figures.
The Wage Protection System (WPS)
The UAE enforces salary payments through the Wage Protection System (WPS), an electronic system that requires employers to pay salaries through banks, exchange houses, or approved financial institutions. This means your salary must be transferred electronically — no cash payments. WPS was introduced to protect workers from delayed or unpaid wages. If your employer is late paying you, the system alerts MOHRE automatically. Companies that repeatedly delay salaries face fines, work permit bans, and even licence revocation. If your salary is delayed beyond 15 days from the contractual due date, you can file a complaint directly through the MOHRE app or website.
Probation Period Rules
Under the 2022 UAE Labour Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 33/2021), probation can last up to 6 months. During probation, either party can terminate with 14 days written notice. If you resign during probation to leave the UAE, you get a 14-day notice period. If you resign to join another UAE employer, you owe 1 month's notice (or your employer can claim compensation). No gratuity is payable for the probation period if service is less than 1 year. Your full salary and allowances still apply during probation — it only affects gratuity and notice terms.
Pension for UAE and GCC Nationals
A UAE national's pension result depends on the responsible authority, employment sector, applicable regime, and contribution account salary. GPSSA's protected Law No. 7 of 1999 coverage and Federal Decree-Law No. 57 of 2023 use different employee rates and salary limits. Law No. 57 took effect on 31 October 2023, but a start date alone does not establish the regime because prior coverage can preserve the legacy law. Abu Dhabi employment is routed to ADPF, and Sharjah government employment is routed to SSSF; this page does not guess those local-authority rules. GCC Insurance Protection deductions depend on the home-country system, so the page withholds net pay when that deduction is unknown.
Tips for New Expats
Always get the offer and salary breakdown in writing, check that the filed contract matches it, and retain payslips and pension-registration evidence. This page does not compare international “take-home” pay: filing status, payroll contributions, location, benefits, exchange-rate provenance, and tax year can materially change such a comparison.