No worker or employer likes to think about work accidents, but knowing the rules before an accident protects the worker and keeps the employer away from violations. The UAE Labour Law has clear rules on work injuries and occupational diseases. This article is based on the "Work injury compensation in the UAE" page of the official UAE Government portal (`u.ae`) and the English text of "Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regarding the regulation of employment relationships" published by the same portal; these sources were checked on 25 October 2026.
What is a work injury?
According to the UAE Government portal page, a work injury is any illness or injury listed in the schedule attached to Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2022, or any injury that occurs during or because of work. An accident while commuting between home and the workplace also counts as a work injury, provided the usual route was not interrupted or changed.
The employer's obligations
| Obligation | Official rule |
|---|---|
| Treatment costs | All costs until the worker recovers or a disability is confirmed: hospital, surgery, tests, medicine, rehabilitation, prosthetics and orthopaedic devices, and transport to medical facilities |
| Reporting | Report any injury or occupational disease to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation within 48 hours of the incident |
| Paying compensation | Within 10 days of receiving the medical report confirming the injury or disability |
| Workplace | A safe workplace meeting occupational health and safety standards |
Pay during treatment
If the injury or illness prevents the worker from working, Article 37 of the law says:
| Period | Pay |
|---|---|
| Up to 6 months, or until treatment ends if shorter | Full pay |
| A second 6 months, or until recovery, a confirmed disability or death, whichever comes first | Half pay |
Compensation for permanent disability and death
| Case | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Death | 24 months of basic wage, at least AED 18,000 and at most AED 200,000, based on the last basic wage before death |
| Permanent total disability | 24 months of basic wage, with the same minimum and maximum |
| Permanent partial disability | The disability percentage from the Cabinet Resolution schedule × 24 months of basic wage, with the same minimum and maximum |
Death compensation goes to the worker's family and is divided among the beneficiaries under the Implementing Regulation. It does not remove the family's right to the end-of-service gratuity and the worker's other entitlements.
When is no compensation paid?
Article 38 of the law says that if the investigations of the competent authorities prove any of the following, the worker has no right to work injury compensation:
- the worker deliberately injured himself or herself;
- the injury happened under the influence of alcohol, narcotics or psychotropic substances;
- the injury resulted from a deliberate breach of safety instructions displayed in a visible place at work;
- the injury resulted from the worker's wilful misconduct;
- the worker refused, without a serious reason, the examination or treatment prescribed.
The line with sick leave
Ordinary sick leave, that is 90 days a year with 15 days on full pay, 30 days on half pay and 45 days unpaid, is for non-occupational illness. Work injuries and occupational diseases follow the rules in this article; the article "Leave in the UAE private sector" explains ordinary sick leave.
Two examples
These examples are hypothetical and only apply the official rules above. In practice, the disability percentage is set by the official schedule and the medical report.
Example 1: an injury with partial disability. A worker with a basic wage of AED 6,000 is injured at work. Treatment takes 8 months, after which a medical report confirms a 30 per cent permanent disability.
| Part | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Pay for the first 6 months | 6 × 6,000 | AED 36,000 |
| Pay for the next 2 months | 2 × 6,000 × 0.5 | AED 6,000 |
| Partial disability compensation | 0.30 × 24 × 6,000 | AED 43,200 |
| Check against the minimum and maximum | Between 18,000 and 200,000 | Within the range |
Treatment costs are paid separately by the employer. In this example, pay during treatment is assumed to be based on the same AED 6,000.
Example 2: the cap on death compensation. A worker with a basic wage of AED 10,000 dies in a work accident.
| Part | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 24 months of basic wage | 24 × 10,000 | AED 240,000 |
| Legal maximum | — | AED 200,000 |
| Compensation payable to the family | — | AED 200,000 |
In addition, the end-of-service gratuity and other entitlements go to the family. If the basic wage had been AED 700, 24 months' wages would have been AED 16,800, and the minimum of AED 18,000 would have applied.
Practical points
- Report any work accident to the employer at once; the employer must report to the Ministry within 48 hours.
- Keep medical reports, treatment receipts and correspondence.
- Do not refuse the prescribed examination and treatment without a serious reason; doing so removes the right to compensation.
- Read and follow the safety instructions displayed at work.
- All calculations are based on the basic wage; check it in the contract.
- For the end-of-service gratuity, see the article "End-of-service gratuity in the UAE private sector".
Royal Golden does not give legal advice. This article is general information, and the decision on any case rests with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and the competent UAE courts.
Sources
- UAE Government portal, Work injury compensation in the UAE — https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Sector-of-employment/employment-in-the-private-sector/Work-Injury-Compensation-in-the-UAE (checked on 25 October 2026)
- UAE Government portal, unofficial English text of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regarding the regulation of employment relationships — https://assets.u.ae/api/public/content/eb65a60bbff949fa912eddd566613014?v=7174ed78 (checked on 25 October 2026)