If you are injured at work in the UAE private sector, your employer must pay the full cost of treatment until you recover or a disability is confirmed, pay your full wage for up to six months of treatment and half wage for a further six, and report the incident to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation within 48 hours. Where the injury causes permanent total disability or death, compensation is 24 months of basic salary, subject to a floor of AED 18,000 and a ceiling of AED 200,000.
Those numbers come from Article 37 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and from Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2022 on Work Diseases and Occupational Injuries. This guide sets out what legally counts as a work injury (including the commute), the exact percentage table that decides partial disability compensation, the reporting sequence and its deadlines, the five circumstances that forfeit the right to compensation, and what to do when the employer disputes the claim. The partial disability percentages are reproduced in full because they are the part of the regime that decides most real payouts and are almost never published.
What Legally Counts as a Work Injury in the UAE
A work injury is any occupational disease listed in the schedule to Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022, or any other injury arising from and sustained during the worker’s work. It also expressly includes any accident on the way to or from work, provided there was no stopping or diversion from the usual route.
The commuting limb is the one that surprises people. A road accident on the normal route between home and the workplace is a work injury under the decree-law’s own definition, with the same treatment, wage and compensation consequences as an accident on site. The qualifier is strict: any stop or detour that is not part of the usual route takes the accident outside the definition, and investigators do look at the route.
Occupational disease works differently from accident injury. Schedule 1 of Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022 lists specific diseases alongside the work that causes them, in a paired structure. Poisoning by lead, mercury, arsenic, antimony, phosphorus, manganese, sulphur and benzene and its derivatives each appear against the occupations that involve producing, using, disposing of or being exposed to that substance. Diseases caused by radium, other radioactive substances and X-rays appear against occupations involving that exposure, and incurable skin diseases and skin and eye burns appear against work with tar, coal tar equipment, mineral oil, kerosene, cement and flour dust. The Minister may update Schedule 1 in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Prevention, so a disease absent today may be added later.
Does the employer have to prove the injury was work related?
No. Under Article 4 of Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022 the investigating authority at the police station carries out the inference and investigation, and must establish whether the injury was work related and whether it fell into any of the disqualifying categories. Crucially, Article 4(3) states that the statements and information in the investigation are mere inferences to be used by the medical authority, and it is the medical authority that has the final decision on whether a work injury exists. A police report that reads badly for the worker is not the end of the claim.
Medical Treatment and Wages While You Recover
The employer bears the entire cost of treatment until recovery or proven disability, with no cap and no deductible. During treatment the worker receives full wage for up to six months. If treatment runs longer, half wage is paid for a further six months, or until recovery, proven disability or death, whichever comes first.
Article 23 of Cabinet Resolution 1 of 2022 spells out what “treatment” covers, and the list is broader than most employees assume. It includes treatment at any governmental or private health facility, hospital residence, surgeries, x-rays and laboratory tests, medications, rehabilitation equipment, the supply of artificial limbs and prostheses where disability is proven, and the cost of the worker’s transport to and from treatment. It is continuous until recovery or until disability is established.
Two points follow. First, this obligation sits on the employer directly, not on the employee’s mandatory health insurance policy. An insurer paying part of the bill does not discharge the employer’s statutory duty for the balance, and a policy exclusion does not transfer the cost to the worker. Second, the wage during treatment is the full wage, not the basic wage, which is a different measure from the one used for the disability compensation itself.
What is the difference between work injury pay and ordinary sick leave?
They are separate regimes and should never be conflated. Ordinary illness that is not caused by a work injury falls under Article 31 of the decree-law, which gives 90 days a year after probation at 15 days full pay, 30 days half pay and 45 days unpaid. A work injury instead gives six months at full pay and six months at half pay, and does not consume the annual sick leave balance. If an employer books work injury absence against your 90-day sick leave entitlement, that is a misapplication of the law, and it usually shows up in the payroll record.
Compensation for Permanent Disability and Death
Permanent total disability and death both attract compensation equal to 24 months of the worker’s basic wage, with a statutory minimum of AED 18,000 and a maximum of AED 200,000. Permanent partial disability is that same 24-month figure multiplied by the disability percentage in the schedules to Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022, within the same floor and ceiling.
Article 37(3) of the decree-law states the death case: the family of the deceased is entitled to compensation equal to the basic wage for 24 months, not less than AED 18,000 and not more than AED 200,000, calculated on the basic wage received before death, and distributed to the beneficiaries as determined by the executive regulation. The article then preserves the family’s separate right to end-of-service gratuity and any other financial entitlements. Compensation and gratuity are cumulative, not alternatives.
Because the compensation is calculated on basic wage and capped at AED 200,000, the cap bites earlier than people expect. A basic wage of AED 8,334 a month reaches the AED 200,000 ceiling at 24 months. Any basic wage above roughly that level produces the same maximum payment, which is why how an offer splits basic salary from allowances affects this figure as much as it affects gratuity. At the other end, the AED 18,000 floor protects low-wage workers whose 24-month basic wage would otherwise fall below it.
Schedule 2: what counts as permanent total disability
Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022 assigns 100% to seven categories: loss of both arms from the shoulder or loss of any two or more body parts; total loss of eyesight or loss of both eyes; total paralysis; imbecility or total mental deficiency; head or brain wounds causing a constant headache; total disfigurement of the face; and chest or internal organ injuries causing permanent and complete disruption of organ function.
Schedule 3: the permanent partial disability percentages
This is the table that decides most claims. Multiply the percentage by 24 months of basic wage, then apply the AED 18,000 floor and AED 200,000 ceiling.
| Percentage | Nature of permanent partial disability |
|---|---|
| 90% | Loss of both legs from the thigh |
| 85% | Loss of hands from the elbow or above |
| 80% | Severe disfigurement of the face |
| 70% | Total loss of both hands from the elbow; total loss of the right arm from the shoulder joint or elbow; loss of both legs from the knee or above |
| 60% | Total loss of the left arm from the shoulder joint or elbow; loss of one leg from the knee or above; loss of the right arm from or below the elbow; loss of one leg from the thigh; loss of both legs from below the knee; loss of right hand fingers including thumb |
| 50% | Loss of the left arm from above or below the elbow; loss of the left hand fingers including thumb; loss of one leg below the knee; total and permanent loss of hearing |
| 45% | Loss of tongue or permanent dumbness; loss of both feet from the ankle or below; loss of the genital organ; loss of sight of one eye |
| 38% | Loss of the right hand from the wrist |
| 35% | Loss of the thumb or four fingers of the right hand |
| 34% | Loss of the left hand from the wrist |
| 25% | Loss of the thumb or four fingers of the left hand |
| 20% | Loss of one foot from the ankle or below; loss of all toes of one foot including the big toe |
| 15% | Loss of three right hand fingers excluding the thumb; loss of the right index finger |
| 10% | Loss of the phalanges joint of the right thumb; loss of the left index finger; loss of three left hand fingers excluding the thumb; loss of all toes of one foot excluding the big toe; loss of the big toe of one foot |
| 6% | Loss of the last phalanges joint of the left big toe; loss of the middle finger of either hand; loss of the ring finger of either hand; loss of the right little finger; loss of one finger of the left hand |
| 5% | Loss of the phalanges joint of any finger excluding the thumb; loss of the second joint of the right index finger; loss of foot toes excluding the great toe |
| 3% | Loss of one molar tooth |
| 2% | Loss of one canine tooth |
Three rules in Article 7 of the resolution change how the table reads. Total loss of the function of an organ or body part is treated as equivalent to total loss of that organ or part, so a hand that no longer works is assessed as a lost hand. If the injured worker is left-handed, all the left-hand percentages and right-hand percentages swap, so the higher right-hand figures apply to their left hand. And where the damage involves a body part or sense not listed in the tables, the competent medical committee assesses the degree of disability directly.
The Reporting Sequence and Its Deadlines
Article 3 of Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022 places three reporting duties on the employer, not on the injured worker: report to the medical authority, report to the competent police station, and report to MOHRE within a maximum of 48 hours. The official guidance adds that compensation must be paid within 10 days of receiving the medical report confirming the injury or disability.
| Step | Who acts | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Report to the medical authority and begin treatment | Employer or legal representative | Immediately |
| Report to the police station covering the location | Employer or legal representative | Immediately for an accident; from the date of knowledge for a suspected occupational disease |
| Report to MOHRE through the designated channels, with the worker’s name, age, occupation, nationality, work destination, identity number and a description of the incident | Employer | Within 48 hours of knowledge |
| Investigation establishing whether the injury is work related | Police investigation authority, assisted by a ministry, health authority or municipality inspector | Immediately after receiving the report |
| Medical report specifying the injury, its cause, relevance to work, treatment duration, degree and type of disability, and capacity to continue working | Treating medical authority, approved by the government health authority | On completion of treatment |
| Payment of compensation | Employer | Within 10 days of receiving the medical report |
The medical report must be given to the worker, with a copy to the employer and a copy sent to the ministry. Getting that document in your own hands matters: it is the instrument that fixes the disability percentage, and every later step depends on it. If an employer has not reported to MOHRE at all, the absence of a report is itself the evidence of a breach, and the injury data that medical facilities are separately required to submit to the ministry under Article 6 creates an independent record of the event.
When the Right to Compensation Is Lost
Article 38 of the decree-law lists five situations in which a worker is not entitled to work injury compensation, each of which must be proven through the investigations of the competent authorities:
- The worker deliberately injured himself.
- The injury occurred under the influence of alcohol, narcotics or other psychotropic substances.
- The injury resulted from an intentional violation of the preventive instructions displayed in visible places at the workplace.
- The injury resulted from wilful misconduct by the worker.
- The worker refused, without serious reason, to be examined or to follow the treatment decided by the medical authority.
The third of these has a condition attached that cuts the other way. Article 23(3) of Cabinet Resolution 1 of 2022 allows the safety-instructions defense only if the employer itself complied with four obligations: making workers aware of detailed fire prevention and hazard protection instructions in Arabic and any other language workers understand where needed; informing the worker of the risks before performing the work, requiring the use of protective means, and supplying appropriate personal protective equipment; training the worker on the safety means in the protection instructions; and educating the worker on hand about job risks and prevention, with detailed written instructions displayed in the workplace. An employer that never ran the training or never posted the instructions cannot rely on the worker having ignored them.
What to Do If the Employer Disputes or Delays the Claim
Work injury compensation is a right under the labour law, so a refusal to pay is an individual labour dispute and goes through the standard route rather than to a civil court in the first instance. The claim starts at MOHRE, which attempts amicable settlement and issues a binding decision itself where the value does not exceed AED 50,000. Higher-value claims, which most permanent disability claims will be, are referred to the competent court with the ministry’s memorandum. The complete dispute procedure and its deadlines under the UAE Labour Law apply here, including the two-year limitation running from the end of the employment relationship and the exemption from court fees for worker claims up to AED 100,000.
Three practical points. Keep every document that leaves the hospital, especially the approved medical report with the disability percentage. If wages stop during treatment, that is a separate and immediate breach that can be raised as a salary complaint to MOHRE without waiting for the compensation question to resolve. And where the injury ends the employment, the compensation, the gratuity and any notice entitlement are three distinct claims that should be quantified separately rather than settled as a single round number.
If the worker dies, the family faces an administrative process alongside the claim, and the sequence for obtaining a death certificate and repatriating remains from the UAE runs in parallel with the compensation entitlement rather than after it. The compensation is distributed to the beneficiaries as determined by the executive regulation, or in accordance with what the worker decided before death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a car accident on the way to work a work injury in the UAE?
Yes, provided there was no stopping or diversion from the usual route. The definition in Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021 expressly deems an accident sustained on the way to or back from work to be a work injury. A detour to run an errand takes the accident outside the definition, and the investigation will examine the route taken.
How much compensation is paid for a work death in the UAE?
The family receives compensation equal to 24 months of the worker’s basic wage, subject to a minimum of AED 18,000 and a maximum of AED 200,000, calculated on the basic wage received before death. This is separate from and additional to end-of-service gratuity and any other outstanding entitlements, which the law expressly preserves.
How is partial disability compensation calculated in the UAE?
Take the disability percentage from the schedules to Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022, multiply it by 24 months of basic wage, then apply the AED 18,000 floor and AED 200,000 ceiling. For example, loss of sight in one eye is 45%, so a worker on a basic wage of AED 5,000 would be assessed at 45% of AED 120,000, which is AED 54,000.
Who pays the hospital bill after a workplace accident?
The employer, in full, until the worker recovers or a disability is confirmed. The obligation covers hospital residence, surgery, x-rays and lab tests, medication, rehabilitation equipment, prosthetics and the cost of travel to treatment. The worker’s health insurance does not displace this duty, and an insurance exclusion does not shift the cost to the worker.
How long must my employer keep paying my salary after a work injury?
Full wage for the duration of treatment up to six months. If treatment continues past six months, half wage for a further six months, or until recovery, proven disability or death, whichever comes first. This is separate from the 90-day annual sick leave entitlement, which is not consumed by a work injury absence.
What is the deadline to report a work injury in the UAE?
The employer must notify MOHRE within a maximum of 48 hours from the time of the injury, or from becoming aware of a suspected occupational disease. Reports to the medical authority and the police station must be made immediately. These duties sit on the employer, not on the injured worker.
Can I be denied compensation for not wearing safety equipment?
Only if the violation of posted preventive instructions was intentional and proven through investigation, and only if the employer itself met its own obligations: briefing workers on hazards in a language they understand, supplying personal protective equipment, training workers on its use, and displaying detailed written prevention instructions in the workplace. An employer that skipped those steps cannot rely on the defense.
Does the employer pay compensation as well as gratuity?
Yes. Article 37(3) preserves the family’s right to end-of-service gratuity and other financial entitlements alongside the injury compensation, and the same principle applies to a surviving worker whose employment ends because of the injury. They are separate claims with separate calculation bases: compensation on 24 months of basic wage, gratuity on 21 or 30 days per year of service.
Does an occupational disease have to be on the official list?
The listed diseases in Schedule 1 of Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022 are recognized automatically when paired with the causative occupation. A condition outside the list can still qualify as a work injury if it arose from and was sustained during the work, and the medical authority has the final say on that question. The Minister may also add diseases to the schedule.
What if my employer never reported the injury?
The failure to report within 48 hours is itself a violation of Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022 and can be raised with MOHRE. Independent records usually exist regardless: medical authorities are required under Article 6 to submit work injury data to the ministry through approved electronic systems, including the worker’s name, identity number, date and place of injury and degree of injury.
Official Sources
- The Official Portal of the UAE Government – Work Injury Compensation in the UAE
- UAE Legislation Portal – Cabinet Resolution No. 33 of 2022 on Work Diseases and Occupational Injuries
- UAE Legislation Portal – Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relationships, Articles 37 and 38
- UAE Legislation Portal – Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 23 on work injuries
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
Information is current as of August 2026. Limitations are stated rather than smoothed over. The compensation figures, disability percentages, schedules and reporting deadlines above were read from the English texts of Federal Decree-Law 33 of 2021, Cabinet Resolution 1 of 2022 and Cabinet Resolution 33 of 2022 published on the UAE Legislation Portal, retrieved through archived copies because the portal blocked direct access from our network. The 10-day payment deadline and the confirmation that permanent total disability attracts the same 24-month compensation as death are taken from the UAE Government portal’s own work injury page, since the decree-law states the death figure expressly and leaves total disability to the resolution. Schedule 3 is reproduced in condensed form, grouping entries that share a percentage; the resolution lists 45 separate items. Ministerial Resolution 657 of 2022 and Administrative Decision 28 of 2022, cited by the government portal as part of this framework, were not retrievable and are not relied on here. This law does not apply to federal or local government employees, the armed forces, police and security, or domestic workers, and DIFC and ADGM have separate regimes. This article explains published rules and is not legal or medical advice. Confirm your position with MOHRE or a licensed UAE lawyer before settling any claim.
