Labour and Staff Accommodation Rules in Dubai and the UAE (2026 Guide)

Three layers of rules

If your company houses workers in the UAE, three layers of rules apply:

1. Federal rules from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).
2. Emirate rules from Dubai Municipality, Sharjah or Ajman.
3. Fire and life safety rules that the sources below actually state.

This guide sets out what those official sources say as of October 2026, with a link to each source. It is a summary and general information, not legal advice. Always confirm the current position with MoHRE and the licensing authority for your emirate before you sign a lease or move workers in.

On this page

• Who must provide it
• Space and beds
• Bathrooms and kitchens
• Fire and life safety
• Permits
• Ejari and tenancy
• Where it is allowed
• Commentator reports
• Checklist
• Enquiry
• FAQ
• Sources

1. Who must provide accommodation

Federal rule

An establishment must provide accommodation when both of these apply:

• it has 50 or more workers; and
• those workers earn AED 1,500 or less a month.

The accommodation must be registered in MoHRE's Labour Accommodation System, and the data entered must be kept accurate.

Source: S1, UAE Government portal.

What Ministerial Resolution 122 of 2026 shows on the confirmed record

MoHRE Ministerial Resolution 122 of 2026 was issued on 18 February 2026. It updates the requirements, amends Ministerial Resolution 44 of 2022 and repeals Ministerial Resolution 516 of 2024. That is what the Lexis record shows for the preamble and Article 1(a). The full official MoHRE PDF was not confirmed for this page, so no further article text is stated here.

Source: S3, Lexis Middle East.

Dubai

Executive Council Resolution 12 of 2025 says that establishments licensed in Dubai with 50 or more workers earning AED 2,000 or less must provide accommodation for those workers. It comes into force 90 days after publication in the Official Gazette, and establishments then have up to one year to comply. The Executive Council may extend this once.

The Official Gazette publication date was not confirmed, so this page does not state a calendar compliance deadline. How the Dubai AED 2,000 test sits alongside the federal AED 1,500 test was not confirmed from official text. Confirm both with MoHRE or a lawyer before you rely on either test alone.

Source: S6, Dubai Legislation Portal.

Sharjah

The Sharjah occupational safety code of practice (OSHJ-CoP-25, September 2024) quotes Ministerial Resolution 591 of 2016 as the duty to house staff where there are 50 or more employees earning less than AED 2,000. That is what the code says. Whether this threshold still applies after Ministerial Resolution 44 of 2022 and Ministerial Resolution 122 of 2026 was not confirmed. Confirm it with MoHRE.

Source: S11, Sharjah occupational safety code.

2. Space per worker and beds per room

Federal standard

• at least 3 m² of bedroom floor area per person;
• at most 8 to 10 persons per bedroom, while still keeping the area rule;
• a ceiling height of at least 7 ft;
• a bed space for every worker, even during working hours;
• for every worker: a bed, a side table and a lockable cupboard 2 m high;
• single beds at least 36 in apart on all sides and at least 12 in high;
• bunk beds at least 48 in apart on all sides, with at least 27 in between the lower and upper bed;
• no three-tier bunks;
• shoe racks at each room entrance;
• no stoves or washing machines in bedrooms.

Source: S1, UAE Government portal.

Dubai Municipality areas

Dubai Municipality Administrative Resolution 110 of 2020 refers to an approved minimum area of 3.7 m² per labourer in the rooms of labour accommodation. Services added to a camp must not reduce it. In Dubai Municipality areas, that 3.7 m² figure is the one named in the resolution. The federal minimum on the UAE Government portal is 3 m².

Source: S7, Dubai Legislation Portal.

Sharjah

The Sharjah code sets 3 m² per employee and a maximum of 8 employees per bedroom. Dormitories must keep the same area per person.

Source: S11, Sharjah occupational safety code.

3. Bathrooms, kitchens and dining

Bathrooms

• workers must reach bathrooms without passing through bedrooms;
• shared bathrooms: 1 toilet per 8 persons, and at least 2 toilets in each shared bathroom;
• 1 urinal per 25 persons;
• 1 bathing place and 1 wash basin per 8 persons;
• hot and cold water;
• cleaned at least once a day, with sterilisers.

Sources: S1, UAE Government portal; S11, Sharjah occupational safety code.

Kitchens

• each unit must have a kitchen built to the competent authority's standards;
• it must be run by a licensed company or by the unit's food staff;
• washable tables, drainage, and ventilation or a chimney;
• the chimney must be 2 m higher than the nearest building;
• gas cylinders outside the building and out of the sun;
• pest control equipment;
• no cooking in bedrooms.

Sources: S1, UAE Government portal; S11, Sharjah occupational safety code.

Dining and rest areas

• the dining room must be near the kitchen;
• allow 1.4 m² per person in dining rooms, TV rooms and rest rooms;
• size the dining room for one third of the residents;
• post meal times at the entrance.

Source: S1, UAE Government portal.

Other required rooms

• a first-aid room with a nurse;
• a quarantine room;
• a prayer room;
• a rest room with seating and a TV;
• laundry, either outsourced or on the ground floor with hot and cold water, ventilation and drainage;
• sealed waste containers, emptied daily;
• a licensed pest control company.

Source: S1, UAE Government portal.

In Sharjah, the first-aid room with a nurse is stated for accommodation with more than 50 resident employees.

Source: S11, Sharjah occupational safety code.

4. Fire and life safety

Sharjah code

• a fire risk assessment before occupancy, reviewed at least annually;
• monthly inspection of firefighting systems;
• systems that comply with the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code and are linked to the AMAN monitoring system;
• smoke detectors, fire alarms and extinguishers in each building;
• an evacuation plan displayed in each building;
• evacuation drills at least annually.

Source: S11, Sharjah occupational safety code.

Federal site rules

Emergency exits, fire extinguishing systems, potable water, sewage, air conditioning and lifts are listed as part of compliance.

Source: S1, UAE Government portal.

Dubai Civil Defence FAQ answers on labour accommodation were not confirmed from the official page, so they are not stated here.

Dubai Municipality technical guideline DM-HSD-GU85-LAC2, issued 19 June 2024, is listed by Lexis. Requirements described in news reports of that guideline were not confirmed from the official text, so they are not set out here.

Source: S8, Lexis Middle East.

5. Permits and approvals to operate

These are the permits and registrations the official sources below actually describe.

6. Ejari and tenancy registration

Dubai

Tenancy contracts are registered with Dubai Land Department through Ejari, Dubai REST or a Real Estate Services Trustee Centre, which issues an e-Contract Registration Certificate. The fees listed are AED 177.75 in total online, and AED 220 in total at a trustee centre.

Dubai Land Department's page does not set out separate rules for labour accommodation. This page does not state a link between Ejari and the MoHRE Labour Accommodation System, because that link was not confirmed from Dubai Land Department or MoHRE. Ask the landlord or property manager whether the camp or building is registered for that use before you sign.

Source: S14, Dubai Land Department.

Ajman

Labour accommodation leases are attested through the municipality service above, after a site inspection.

Source: S13, Digital Ajman.

Sharjah

The lease or title deed is a required document for the Labour Accommodation Compliance Certificate.

Source: S12, Sharjah Civil Defence.

7. Where labour accommodation is allowed

Federal siting rules

Accommodation must be:

• at least 5 km from family housing areas;
• away from tourist sites, investment zones, pollution sources and rainwater drainage channels;
• close to industrial areas or job sites and to an active road network.

Source: S1, UAE Government portal.

Dubai areas named in official sources

• Jebel Ali First Industrial Area contains labour accommodation. Dubai Municipality Administrative Resolution 110 of 2020 does not apply there, except for restaurants.
• Al Quoz (Al Quoz 3 and Al Quoz 4) and Muhaisnah 2. Dubai Municipality describes these as industrial zones and labour housing areas, where it is building or upgrading labourer community markets.

Sources: S7, Dubai Legislation Portal; S15, Dubai Municipality.

Sonapur is a common name for part of Muhaisnah. That name is common usage, not taken from an official source. Check the permitted use of a specific plot with Dubai Municipality or the relevant master developer before buying or leasing. An official Dubai list or map of zones where new labour accommodation is permitted was not confirmed, so it is not set out here.

Reported by legal commentators, not yet confirmed from official text

The points in this section are reported by legal commentators, not yet confirmed from official text. They come from law firm summaries of Ministerial Resolution 122 of 2026. They are not stated on this page as rules.

Who is covered, and who must register

• The 50-worker and AED 1,500 test is kept, applied to the wage stated in the employment contract.
• The accommodation must be approved and registered in MoHRE systems.
• Commission-based workers at occupational level 5 or above are excluded from the wage test.
• In coordination with MoHRE, local authorities may lower the headcount threshold, raise the wage cap, or both.
• The duty stays with the employer.
• Owners of accommodation must also register and keep data up to date.
• MoHRE can suspend an accommodation file where data is wrong or standards are breached.

Sources: S4, Morgan Lewis; S5, Clyde and Co.

Facilities the summaries add for 2026

• facilities for People of Determination and for injured or sick workers;
• enough lifts;
• natural and mechanical ventilation;
• free internet throughout;
• secure lockers;
• information on rights, duties and health and safety in languages workers understand;
• visible complaint channels.

Sources: S4, Morgan Lewis; S5, Clyde and Co.

• cold drinking water: at least one cooler per 30 workers;
• periodic cleaning by specialist contractors.

Source: S5, Clyde and Co.

Security the summaries add for 2026

• 24-hour security by a licensed company;
• CCTV at entrances, exits and common areas;
• at least 1 supervisor per 200 workers.

Sources: S4, Morgan Lewis; S5, Clyde and Co.

8. Checklist for companies renting staff accommodation

Use this before you sign. These checks use the confirmed sources above. Points reported by legal commentators, not yet confirmed from official text, are in the previous section and are not treated as requirements here.

1. Work out whether you are in scope: 50 or more workers earning AED 1,500 or less a month (federal), or, for an establishment licensed in Dubai, 50 or more workers earning AED 2,000 or less.

   Sources: S1, UAE Government portal; S6, Dubai Legislation Portal.

2. Ask for the government licence and for registration in the MoHRE Labour Accommodation System. In Dubai Municipality areas, a permit is needed to add built-up area or to change part of a camp's use for services such as clinics, groceries, laundries and restaurants. In Sharjah, ask for the annual Labour Accommodation Compliance Certificate. In Ajman, the labour accommodation lease is attested through the municipality.

   Sources: S1, UAE Government portal; S7, Dubai Legislation Portal; S12, Sharjah Civil Defence; S13, Digital Ajman.

3. Confirm the accommodation can be registered under your establishment in MoHRE's Labour Accommodation System, and that the data entered can be kept accurate.

   Source: S1, UAE Government portal.

4. Measure the rooms: 3 m² per person federally, or 3.7 m² per labourer in Dubai Municipality areas; no more than 8 to 10 per room (8 in Sharjah); ceiling at least 7 ft; no three-tier bunks.

   Sources: S1, UAE Government portal; S7, Dubai Legislation Portal; S11, Sharjah occupational safety code.

5. Count bathrooms: 1 toilet, 1 bathing place and 1 wash basin per 8 persons, at least 2 toilets in each shared bathroom, and 1 urinal per 25 persons.

   Source: S1, UAE Government portal.

6. Check the kitchen and dining areas: the kitchen meets the competent authority's standards, gas cylinders are stored outside the building and out of the sun, stoves and washing machines are not in bedrooms, cooking is not done in bedrooms, and dining space is 1.4 m² per person for one third of residents.

   Sources: S1, UAE Government portal; S11, Sharjah occupational safety code.

7. In Sharjah, ask for the fire risk assessment and its annual review, the monthly inspection of firefighting systems, the evacuation plan, the last drill date, and the annual compliance certificate.

   Sources: S11, Sharjah occupational safety code; S12, Sharjah Civil Defence.

8. Check the rooms on the federal list: first-aid room with a nurse, quarantine room, prayer room, rest room with seating and a TV, and laundry. In Sharjah, the first-aid room with a nurse is stated for accommodation with more than 50 resident employees.

   Sources: S1, UAE Government portal; S11, Sharjah occupational safety code.

9. Register or attest the lease: Ejari in Dubai, and municipality attestation in Ajman. In Sharjah, the lease or title deed is a document for the compliance certificate.

   Sources: S14, Dubai Land Department; S13, Digital Ajman; S12, Sharjah Civil Defence.

10. On site, the federal standards also call for bathrooms cleaned at least once a day with sterilisers, sealed waste containers emptied daily, a licensed pest control company, and MoHRE accommodation data kept accurate.

    Source: S1, UAE Government portal.

Staff accommodation enquiry

Company, headcount, area, move-in date, budget and whether you want to rent or buy. That is enough for a useful shortlist. Options come from owners, operators and other agents. This is a sourcing service, not a list of property we own.

9. FAQ

Sources

All sources below were checked on 27 October 2026. Codes in the guide link to these pages.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. It summarises public government sources as of 27 October 2026. Rules change, and emirates and free zones can add their own requirements, so confirm with MoHRE and your licensing authority. Last checked: 27 October 2026.