Country Portal
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been an ILO member state since 1972 and has ratified nine ILO Conventions, including six core Conventions. The UAE hosts some 8.7 million migrant workers – equivalent to over 80 per cent of the country’s resident population – making it one of the largest foreign labour-receiving countries in the world. With Emirati nationals mainly employed in the public sector, migrant workers constitute the bulk of private sector employment. The ILO and UAE are collaborating across topics such as social protection, labour migration corridors, just transition, and building institutional capacities to enable it to create and maintain safe and healthy workspaces in all sectors of the economy.
Latest news and stories
ILO discusses maternity benefits and implications for labour markets in the Arab Gulf countries
Partnership
ILO and GCC join forces to advance decent work and sustainable development in the Gulf States
Labour statistics
National labour market statistics for the last year from the ILOSTAT database
Projects and programmes
Social Protection
Expanding Social insurance for agricultural workers in the Arab region
Project
Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers: Exploratory Research and Policy Dialogue in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries
Development Cooperation Dashboard
The dashboard offers interactive visualisations of ILO development cooperation projects in the United Arab Emirates.
Events
Arab Social Protection Compass Webinar series: Part IV
Laying the institutional groundwork for integrated social protection in Oman
Publications
Regional Report
Assessment of Labour Migration Statistics in the Arab States
United Arab Emirates: Regulatory framework governing migrant workers
All resources
Browse our catalogue of resources from or about United Arab Emirates and filter by topic or sector.
Tripartite partners
Work with us
Contact
Mette Grangaard Lund
Just Transitions Specialist
ILO Regional Office for Arab States
- Email: lundm@ilo.org
ILO activities in the United Arab Emirates are coordinated by the ILO in the Arab States Office, based in Beirut.
Aresco Centre - Justinien Street - Kantari
P.O.Box 11-4088 Riad Solh 1107-2150
Beirut – Lebanon
- Email: beirut@ilo.org
Phone: + 961-1-752400