Guide · updated 02.09.2026 · 10 min read · Lucent Legal team

Labour court in the UAE: how you get there and how long it takes

The road to a UAE labour court never starts at the court. It starts with a MOHRE complaint and up to 14 days of mediation. After that comes either a decision by the ministry itself (claims up to AED 50,000) or referral to the labour court. MOHRE is a ministry, not a court, and on larger claims it does not have the last word. Below: how long each stage runs, who pays what, and what actually gets awarded.

Stage 1: the MOHRE complaint and mediation

A complaint to MOHRE (the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) is the mandatory pre-court step for private-sector labour disputes outside DIFC and ADGM. File through the app, on mohre.gov.ae, or by phone, with no office visit — the channels are broken down in the separate MOHRE complaint guide.

Once registered, the ministry has up to 14 days to reconcile the parties. In practice that is one or two calls or meetings with a MOHRE officer, where the sides negotiate an amount and a payment date. If the issue is unpaid salary specifically, how that breaches the WPS rules and how to document the delay is covered in unpaid salary in the UAE.

Stage 2: MOHRE decides, or refers the case to court

If 14 days produce no agreement, the amount in dispute decides what happens next.

• Up to AED 50,000 — MOHRE can issue its own binding decision without going to court (the threshold comes from Ministerial Resolution No. 782 of 2023).
• Above AED 50,000, or where a party disagrees with the ministry's decision — the case goes to the labour court with a covering MOHRE opinion setting out the dispute and each side's position.

There is a middle path too. Part of the claim settles in mediation and the unagreed remainder goes to court on its own — a dispute over the gratuity figure, say, once the salary is agreed.

MOHRE did not help: what then

If MOHRE did not resolve the dispute, court is the only route that finishes it. The common picture: the complaint was filed, mediation happened, and nothing came of it. The employer did not appear, is playing for time, or is not paying what was promised. Three variants:

1. Silence and delay — the complaint status shows only in your account in the MOHRE app or website, not in verbal promises from HR. If the 14 days pass with no movement, ask directly for referral to court.
2. The agreed payment never arrives — a verbal understanding at MOHRE has none of the force of a judgment. The only working step is taking the case to court and getting a decision that can be enforced.
3. The case is at court and the employer proposes an informal deal — you can agree, but do it in writing, with a receipt or a bank transfer. A verbal settlement leaves nothing to prove payment with later.

Registering the case with the labour court

Referral from MOHRE is not automatic filing: the employee registers the claim with the competent labour court within 14 days of the referral date (Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022). The MOHRE opinion is attached to the application.

From there the procedure looks much like an ordinary civil claim. Documents in a foreign language are translated into Arabic by a translator accredited by the Ministry of Justice. The court then sets a first hearing. The general mechanics of filing, translations and attestation are in the guide on how to sue in the UAE.

The main difference from an ordinary claim is money. Under Article 55 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33/2021, employees and their heirs pay no court fee at any stage, execution included, where the claim does not exceed AED 100,000. By comparison, ordinary civil claims in the Dubai courts carry a 6% fee with a ceiling — details in what a UAE court case costs. For claims above AED 100,000, sources quote a reduced rate of around 5% with a ceiling, plus the right to ask the court to defer payment until judgment. The figures vary between sources, so have a lawyer confirm the rate for your amount.

Which documents to collect

Gather evidence from day one and the case does not stall on formalities. The basic set for a labour claim:

• the employment contract (offer letter and signed contract, where they differ);
• Emirates ID plus a copy of the passport or visa;
• payslips or bank statements — they prove the salary and the delays;
• correspondence with the employer (email, WhatsApp) recording payment promises or refusals;
• the MOHRE opinion from the mediation, if you have it;
• a calculation of the amount claimed — salary for the period, gratuity, compensation — ideally as a separate document.

Any document in Russian or English submitted as evidence is translated into Arabic by a certified translator. The court will not accept it untranslated.

How long a case runs and when you can appeal

The court schedules a first hearing within a few working days of registration, but the case as a whole runs longer. The timeline depends on the court's caseload, on whether the facts are contested (which brings in a court expert), and on whether the losing side appeals. Sources give a spread: from a few weeks for a simple, undisputed salary claim to several months where the employer contests the amount or the debt itself.

An appeal against a first-instance judgment is filed within 30 days of notification, under the general rule of civil procedure. For small amounts the first-instance judgment can be final and not subject to appeal. That depends on the sum and the court. Confirm your deadline, and whether an appeal exists at all, as soon as judgment lands. Until the deadline passes or the appeal is heard, the judgment is not final.

What you can recover in a labour claim

One labour claim usually bundles several heads of claim:

• unpaid salary — for periods worked but not paid;
• gratuity (end-of-service benefits) — the formula and worked examples are in the gratuity calculation guide;
• compensation for unused leave — payment for accrued days never taken;
• compensation for arbitrary dismissal or unserved notice — where the termination is found unlawful.

The court awards what the documents and the calculation support. Verbal claims of "underpayment" with no figures generally fail. Nobody knows the outcome or the amount in advance: it turns on the evidence, the employer's position, and the court's assessment.

Enforcement when the employer still does not pay

Winning is not the same as money in your account. Once the judgment is final and the employer still does not pay, a separate stage begins: the execution case. That means account freezes, seizure of company assets, and in certain conditions a travel ban on the responsible individuals. How that stage works, and where it hits a wall — a debtor company with no UAE assets, for instance — is covered in judgment won, money unpaid: the execution case.

Topic: UAE Labour Law 2026

This material is for information only and is not legal advice. UAE law changes — a lawyer will assess how it applies to your situation.