+
Years of Experience
With a wealth of experience managing payroll, our expertise speaks volumes.
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Global Clients
Running payroll isn't just a service, our clients' success is our priority.
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Payrolls / Month
Processed accurately and on time every month — 40,000+ delivered since inception.
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Recruitment/Month
Since 2006
Trusted & Compliant With
What is an Employer of Record in UAE?
An Employer of Record (EOR) in UAE is a service that allows an eligible business to employ workers through an EOR employment structure while the client company manages the employee's daily work and business responsibilities. The EOR manages the formal employment relationship and agreed employment administration.
What does a UAE EOR handle?
Why use an EOR in UAE?
An EOR can help businesses hire in UAE without first building and managing their own complete local employment infrastructure, subject to the applicable legal and regulatory structure.
Who uses UAE EOR?
Establishing a first foothold without a full local entity.
Testing the market with a compliant, low-friction start.
Building a team without an internal HR administration function.
Scaling presence in one of the region's key hubs.
Bringing in specific skills without a lengthy setup.
Keeping options open before committing to a permanent structure.
Entering a new market shouldn't require your management team to become experts in every employment administration process. With e-square UAE Employer of Record Services, businesses can access a structured employment solution for eligible employees while e-square manages the agreed employment administration.
Our role can include employment contracts, onboarding, payroll, benefits, employee records and ongoing workforce administration, while your company remains responsible for the employee's operational direction, role and performance. The result is a more streamlined way to establish and manage a UAE workforce without immediately building every component of an internal employment administration function.
Launching a UAE operation can involve multiple employment and administrative requirements. An EOR model can help eligible businesses begin employing workers without first building the complete employment infrastructure themselves.
UAE employment requirements differ from those in other jurisdictions. e-square supports the administration of employment contracts, payroll, benefits and other agreed workforce processes within the applicable UAE framework.
Instead of spending internal resources on routine employment administration, your management team can focus on customers, operations, sales and growth.
Whether you're hiring one employee or building a larger UAE team, an EOR model can provide a flexible foundation for workforce expansion.
Structured payroll and HR administration means your team is not tied up managing routine employment processes internally.
Employment requirements can change, and different UAE jurisdictions and employment arrangements may involve different obligations. e-square helps manage the applicable employment administration within the agreed scope.
Choosing between an EOR and establishing your own employment structure depends on your business plans, workforce size, operating model and long-term presence in the UAE.
| Consideration | UAE EOR | Own UAE Entity |
|---|---|---|
| Employment administration | Managed by EOR within agreed scope | Managed by your company |
| Employment contracts | EOR-supported | Company-managed |
| Payroll | EOR-supported | Company or payroll provider |
| Employee records | EOR-supported | Company-managed |
| Benefits administration | EOR-supported | Company-managed / outsourced |
| HR administration | Outsourced | Internal or outsourced |
| Initial administrative burden | Generally lower | Generally higher |
| Day-to-day employee management | Client | Client |
| Best suited for | Market entry, initial hiring and workforce expansion | Established long-term local operations |
e-square provides an integrated approach to UAE employment administration, helping businesses manage employees across the employment lifecycle.
We support the preparation and administration of employment documentation appropriate to the applicable UAE employment arrangement, including key terms such as position, compensation, working arrangements, leave and notice requirements.
We coordinate the employment onboarding process, including required employee documentation, payroll setup and agreed onboarding administration.
Where included within the engagement, e-square can coordinate applicable employee immigration and work-permit processes with the relevant authorities and partners.
Hire Employees in UAE →We manage agreed payroll processes, including salary calculations, allowances, deductions, payroll records, payslips and reporting.
Payroll Services →Where WPS requirements apply, e-square supports the applicable salary-payment administration and related payroll processes.
We administer agreed employee benefits, which may include health insurance, allowances and other contractual benefits.
Employee Benefits →Annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave and other applicable leave categories can be incorporated into the employee administration process.
We support applicable end-of-service benefit calculations and final settlement administration when an employee leaves the organization.
Employment records and payroll-related information are maintained as part of the agreed HR administration process.
e-square supports the applicable offboarding process, including final payroll, leave balances, end-of-service calculations and other agreed settlement requirements.
Our support can continue throughout the employee lifecycle rather than ending once the employee has been hired.
Payroll is one of the most important components of UAE EOR services. e-square manages agreed payroll administration so that employees are paid according to their employment terms and applicable requirements. Our UAE Payroll Services support can include:
The Wage Protection System (WPS) is an electronic wage-payment system used to facilitate and monitor employee salary payments in the UAE. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization describe WPS as a mechanism for transferring wages through approved financial institutions according to the wages registered in employment contracts. WPS applicability and requirements can vary according to the employer and employee circumstances, so payroll administration should be assessed against the applicable rules.
A UAE EOR arrangement must take account of the employment rules applicable to the employee and employer.
The UAE employment framework contains provisions covering working hours, rest periods and overtime, with specific rules and exceptions depending on the employee category and circumstances.
Under the UAE private-sector employment framework, employees generally become entitled to annual leave according to their length of service, including 30 days for each year of service after completing the relevant period.
UAE employment legislation provides statutory sick-leave provisions, including different wage treatment depending on the period of leave and applicable circumstances.
Current UAE private-sector rules provide 60 days of maternity leave: 45 days at full pay followed by 15 days at half pay, subject to the applicable statutory conditions.
Employees are entitled to statutory public holidays in accordance with applicable UAE regulations.
Employment termination and resignation are governed by applicable contractual and statutory requirements, including notice provisions and final employment entitlements.
Applicable employees may be entitled to end-of-service benefits calculated according to UAE employment rules and the employee's qualifying service.
Businesses employing UAE nationals may have applicable Emiratization obligations depending on their establishment, workforce and classification.
Businesses operating from a UAE Free Zone need to consider both the requirements of their licensing authority and the employment rules applicable to their workforce.
e-square is licensed as E Square Services LLC-FZ under Meydan Free Zone (License No. 2309891.01), authorized to deliver HR and information service solutions including PEO and long-term HR deployment services under Activity Codes 7830.01 (Provision of Human Resources for Client Businesses) and 6390.00 (Other Information Services).
Meydan Free Zone provides business licensing across a broad range of activities in Dubai. Its current activity database includes more than 2,500 business activities across categories including professional services, ICT, trading, healthcare, education, manufacturing and others. For companies operating from Meydan Free Zone, the precise business activity listed on the trade license is important because licensing scope determines what the company is permitted to conduct.
Licensed Activities
Meydan's current activity framework includes categories such as:
The exact activity and approval requirements should always be checked against the current Meydan Free Zone activity list.
Regulatory Compliance
A company's Free Zone license doesn't remove the need to consider applicable employment, immigration, payroll and data-protection requirements. e-square helps businesses manage the employment administration associated with their UAE workforce within the agreed EOR scope.
UAE Personal Data Protection Law
Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 Regarding the Protection of Personal Data (PDPL) establishes an integrated framework for protecting personal data and regulating its processing in the UAE. EOR services involve sensitive employee information such as:
Employee data is handled using appropriate privacy, confidentiality and information-security controls consistent with applicable requirements — e-square is ISO 27001:2022 certified for information security management.
One of the reasons businesses consider the UAE for international expansion is its tax environment. For employees, the UAE generally does not impose personal income tax on employment income.
However, businesses operating in the UAE may have other tax, licensing, immigration, payroll and regulatory obligations depending on their structure and activities. Corporate taxation is separate from individual employment taxation and should not be presented as a payroll tax. For EOR clients, e-square focuses on the employment administration, payroll and workforce processes within the agreed scope.
The UAE does not generally impose personal income tax on individuals' employment income.
A competitive UAE employment package can include more than base salary. Depending on the role, employer policy and employment agreement, compensation may include:
e-square can administer agreed salary and benefits as part of the EOR employment arrangement.
Health insurance requirements vary by emirate and applicable regulations. In Dubai, the Dubai Health Insurance Corporation under the Dubai Health Authority is responsible for administering and supervising health insurance legislation in the emirate. For UAE EOR employees, the applicable insurance requirements should be assessed according to the employee's location and employment arrangement.
Employer of Record (EOR) and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) are often used interchangeably in search queries, but they aren't necessarily the same employment model.
An EOR generally becomes the formal employer for the employee under the applicable employment structure and manages agreed employment administration, while the client directs the employee's daily work.
A PEO generally operates through a co-employment or shared-employment model, where responsibilities are divided between the PEO and client.
| Feature | EOR | PEO |
|---|---|---|
| Formal employment role | EOR | Shared / co-employment structure |
| Payroll | Managed by EOR | Managed / shared |
| HR administration | EOR-supported | PEO-supported |
| Day-to-day employee direction | Client | Client |
| Local entity considerations | Depends on structure | Depends on structure |
| Market-entry use case | Strong | Depends on arrangement |
| Employment administration | EOR-led | Shared |
End-of-service benefits are an important part of UAE employee lifecycle administration. When an eligible employee leaves employment, the final settlement may need to account for:
e-square supports the applicable calculation and final settlement administration within the agreed EOR scope.
Tell us about your UAE hiring plans, employee roles, locations, compensation and expected start dates.
We review the requirements and determine the appropriate EOR approach and scope of services.
The required employment documentation is prepared and the onboarding process begins.
e-square coordinates the agreed onboarding, payroll setup, benefits and applicable employment administration.
We manage recurring payroll and other agreed employee administration throughout the employment relationship.
From leave and benefits to final settlement and offboarding, we continue supporting the agreed employment processes.
Businesses entering the UAE can use an EOR to support their initial hiring requirements.
Startups can build their first UAE team without immediately creating a large internal HR administration function.
Small and mid-sized businesses can outsource employment administration while focusing on operations and growth.
Larger organizations can use UAE EOR support for specific workforce requirements or new market expansion.
Companies hiring UAE-based remote employees can use an EOR structure where appropriate.
An EOR can provide a practical workforce option while a company evaluates its long-term UAE operating model.
e-square has been providing payroll, recruitment and outsourced employment services since 2006. Our EOR proposition emphasizes local compliance, payroll administration, market entry and workforce support.
Our capabilities extend beyond EOR, including:
This gives businesses the option to consolidate multiple workforce requirements with one HR partner.
From hiring and onboarding to payroll, benefits and offboarding, e-square supports the employment lifecycle within the agreed service scope.
UAE employment requirements aren't the same as those in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or other markets. Our country-specific service structure helps businesses access locally relevant workforce support.
We manage agreed employment processes with attention to applicable UAE Employment Compliance, payroll and workforce requirements.
Trusted by businesses worldwide to manage their workforce globally.
"e-square services have been working with K-Electric Limited as one of its outsourced services providers since July 2008. Currently 325 e-square employees are engaged in delivery of required services at various departments of K-Electric Limited. These employees belong to e-square services & K-Electric Limited has no employer-employee relations with these employees."
"e-square services had served Ufone (PTML) as one of our outsourced employment services providers from July 2006 to May 2015. These employees belonged to e-square services & Ufone had no employer-employee relations with these employees, while these employees were on e-square payroll to deliver the required services to Ufone. During this tenure e-square provided on average 250/month employees to work for Ufone Contact center in Karachi."
"e-square services have been working with PTCL as one of its outsourced employment services providers since July 2007. Currently 1800 e-square employees are engaged in delivery of required services to PTCL. These employees belong to e-square services & PTCL has no employer-employee relations with these employees."
"e-square Services Private Limited have been working with Careem as one of its outsourced employment services providers since January 2017. We are enjoying their excellent services in the following functional areas: Recruitment of human resource, Payroll management, Salary & benefits disbursement."
"E-Square Services (Pvt.) Limited have been collaborating with M/s Worldcall Telecom Limited as its outsourced employment services provider since 2014. During this period e-square has hired & placed sales force and field collectors to work for Worldcall on E-Square's payroll. These employees belong to E-Square Services and Worldcall has no employer-employee relations with these employees. A total of almost 300 e-square employees has served Worldcall over this period of time in a good collaborative environment."
"CHS has outsourced our Human Resource need for 483 employees to M/s e-square services in November 2016 via contract signed between the two companies. e-square evaluated, recruited and onboarded 483 employees for us. Our expectations were exceeded by the standard of candidates and the swiftness of delivery."
An Employer of Record in UAE is a service provider that manages the formal employment relationship and agreed employment administration for eligible workers, while the client manages the employee's day-to-day business activities.
The EOR manages agreed employment administration such as contracts, payroll, benefits and employee records while the client directs the employee's daily responsibilities.
An EOR may allow eligible businesses to employ workers through an appropriate local employment structure without establishing their own complete local employment infrastructure. The correct structure depends on the circumstances and applicable UAE requirements.
A UAE EOR can handle employment documentation, onboarding, payroll, WPS support where applicable, benefits, leave administration, employee records, end-of-service calculations and offboarding.
Yes. Payroll is a core component of e-square's UAE EOR offering and can include salary calculations, allowances, deductions, payslips, reporting and WPS-related administration where applicable.
The Wage Protection System is an electronic wage-payment mechanism used to facilitate and monitor employee salary payments through approved financial institutions.
An EOR can coordinate applicable visa and work-permit processes where those services are included within the engagement and permitted under the relevant UAE structure.
Health-insurance requirements depend on the emirate and applicable regulations. Dubai has a regulated health-insurance framework administered by the Dubai Health Insurance Corporation under the Dubai Health Authority.
End-of-service benefits are calculated according to the applicable UAE employment rules, employee service period, qualifying status and relevant wage components.
An EOR generally takes the formal employment role under the applicable structure, while a PEO generally operates through a shared or co-employment model.
EOR support may be available depending on the Free Zone, employee circumstances and applicable employment structure. The specific requirements should be assessed before onboarding.
The appropriate employment arrangement should be assessed based on the company's licence, employee location, activity and applicable UAE requirements. Meydan maintains its own current business activity and licensing framework.
Yes. An EOR can administer agreed employee benefits such as health insurance, allowances and other contractual benefits.
The timeline depends on employee documentation, employment structure, immigration requirements, approvals and other onboarding factors. e-square can provide an estimated timeline after reviewing your requirements.
UAE EOR pricing depends on factors such as employee salary, number of employees, benefits, onboarding requirements, visa support and service scope. e-square can provide a customized quotation based on your workforce requirements.
Explore Employer of Record and HR Services across our primary markets.
