More than 44,000 workers in the UAE received payouts from the Workers Protection Program by the end of June 2026, with disbursements exceeding AED320 million ($87.1 million) in the first half of the year alone. Combined with the Unemployment Insurance Scheme, which has paid out more than AED512 million ($139.4 million) since its 2024 launch, the figures point to a labour-market safety net that is now processing sizeable sums for workers across the private sector.
For UAE residents and employers, the numbers matter because they track how well the country's worker-protection infrastructure is functioning in practice, not just on paper. The Workers Protection Program paid an average of roughly AED7,000 per worker in the period, and by the end of 2025 it covered 99 percent of the workforce, having disbursed more than AED300 million to over 38,000 workers that year.
Wage rules tighten from June 2026
New rules effective June 1, 2026 require most private-sector employers to pay the previous month's wages by the first day of the following Gregorian month, using the Wage Protection System or another approved channel. This follows an upgraded wage system introduced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization in December 2025, which covered more than 99 percent of private-sector workers and processed over AED35 billion in monthly salary transfers at launch.
Heat protection and accommodation oversight
The Occupational Heat Stress Prevention Policy is in effect from June 15 through September 15, and the ministry's plan for this period includes more than 12,000 rest stations for delivery riders, up from more than 10,000 in 2025. Delivery riders working through the peak summer months rely on these stations for relief during outdoor shifts.
Separately, more than 2,800 facilities were registered in the Labor Accommodation System by the end of June 2026, serving around 2 million workers, a sign of how broadly the ministry's oversight now extends into worker housing.
Awareness campaigns and outreach
MoHRE and its partners organized celebrations at more than 60 locations nationwide during the first half of 2026, drawing participation from approximately 800,000 workers. The ministry also ran awareness programs in 17 languages, reaching more than 1.3 million people through specialized outreach efforts.
In February 2026, MoHRE launched an updated market observatory featuring bilingual dashboards covering wage protection, unemployment insurance, worker insurance, savings, health coverage, heat-stress measures, inspections and accommodation, giving officials and the public a single reference point for tracking these programs.
Ministry says data reflects broader strategy
Dalal Alshehhi, assistant undersecretary for labor protection at MoHRE, said the results reflected the ministry's commitment to a safe, stable and sustainable workplace that improves quality of life and well-being. She added that the approach protects workers' rights while balancing them with employers' rights, supporting national priorities and the We the UAE 2031 vision.