Dubai: Can expats hire more than one housemaid? Legal requirements clarified

Question: I am an expat resident and recently brought my parents here in Dubai on a residence visa because there is no one to look after them in our home country. I already have a housemaid under my sponsorship. Am I allowed to hire 2 more maids and what are the requirements?

Answer:  The provisions of Federal Decree Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers and its subsequent ministerial resolutions are silent related to the number of domestic workers that an individual may sponsor in the UAE.

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A recognised maid recruitment agency in the UAE may not recruit a domestic worker in the UAE without obtaining a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation (MoHRE). This is in accordance with Article 4(1) of the Federal Decree Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers which states, "Domestic workers may not be hired or temporarily employed without a licence from the Ministry, in accordance with the provisions of the Implementing Regulation of this Decree Law and the decisions of the Ministry relating thereto.”

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It is mandatory for an employer or a recruitment agency of a domestic worker to have an employment contract signed with a domestic worker and registered with the MoHRE. This is in accordance with Article 6 and Article 7 of the UAE Domestic Workers Law.

An employer/sponsor of a domestic worker needs to follow the guidelines and provisions of UAE Domestic Workers Law while employing a domestic worker at his or her residence. It may include but is not limited to providing the domestic worker with the facilities to perform her duties, allot appropriate accommodation, provision of food and means, clothing if required to perform the duties, timely payment of remuneration, incur costs related to health insurance, be respectful to the domestic worker and the domestic worker should be allowed to retain her official documents. This is in accordance with Article 11 of the UAE Domestic Workers Law which states about the obligations of the employer/sponsor towards a domestic worker.

Moreover, Article 7 of the Cabinet Resolution No. 106 of 2022 Pertaining to the Executive Regulations of Federal Decree Law No. 9 of 2022 Concerning Domestic Workers states that an employer/sponsor may not employ a domestic worker for more than 12 hours a day and without a break after continuous work for eight hours a day. Article 8 of the Cabinet Resolution 106 of 2022 on Domestic Workers Law states that an employer/sponsor needs to grant a weekly holiday to a domestic worker.

Based on the aforementioned provisions, you may consider sponsoring a domestic worker if you fulfil the relevant requirements as required by MoHRE and other authorities. Therefore, you may contact the MoHRE for further clarification on this matter. However, you may also consider hiring a domestic help/maid in the UAE through the recognised domestic recruitment agencies in the UAE as mentioned in Article 4 and Article 5 of the UAE Domestic Workers Law.

UAE's Domestic Workers Law is silent regarding the number of domestic workers that an individual may engage/sponsor. However, in practice, approvals for hiring additional domestic workers may depend on your personal circumstances, including financial capacity and the specific needs of your household. Furthermore, you may have an option of hiring through a recognised domestic recruitment agency.

For further clarification on this matter, you may contact the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai or the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.

Ashish Mehta is the founder and Managing Partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates. He is qualified to practise law in Dubai, the United Kingdom and India. Full details of his firm on: www.amalawyers.com. Readers may e-mail their questions to: news@khaleejtimes.com or send them to Legal View, Khaleej Times, PO Box 11243, Dubai.