How to Claim Workers Compensation Dubai

AUTHOR VERIFICATION

Written & reviewed by

Faris Raian

Founder Partner Leaders Advocates, Dubai

Labour Law Updated October 20, 2026

Book a Consultation

Claiming workers’ compensation in Dubai starts with your employer, not with you. The employer must report the injury, pay for your treatment and pay the compensation within 10 days of the medical report. Your part is to:

• get treated;
• keep the medical report;
• and complain to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) if the employer does not act.

This guide covers private-sector employees under the federal labour law. Other rules can apply to domestic workers, government employees and zones that have their own employment laws. The government’s work injury compensation page and the Cabinet resolution on work injuries set the rules described below.

How To Claim Workers Compensation Dubai Step By Step

The law puts most of the reporting on the employer. The table shows who does what, and when.

What Counts As A Work Injury

Any injury sustained while doing your work or because of it. That includes an accident on your way to or from work, as long as you did not stop or change your usual route.

Illnesses caused by the job also count when they appear in the Cabinet resolution’s first schedule. It pairs 17 diseases with the work that causes them, such as lead poisoning for work involving lead, and silica dust diseases for work in dusty conditions.

What You Can Receive

Four things can come out of a work injury claim.

• Treatment at the employer’s cost until you recover or a disability is confirmed. It covers:
  • hospital stays;
  • surgery;
  • tests;
  • medicines;
  • rehabilitation;
  • artificial limbs;
  • and transport to medical facilities.
• Wages during treatment: full pay for up to six months, then half pay for up to six months.
• Compensation for permanent total disability or death: 24 months of basic wage, but never below AED 18,000 or above AED 200,000.
• Compensation for permanent partial disability: the disability percentage from the Cabinet resolution’s third schedule, applied to 24 months of basic wage, within the same floor and ceiling.

The calculation uses your basic wage, not your total pay. Allowances do not count. The table shows how it works, with made-up wages.

If a worker dies, the compensation goes to the legal heirs under the applicable law, or to the people the worker named before death. The family also keeps the end-of-service benefits. Some older guides quote a much lower ceiling from the previous law, so check the date of any figure you read.

When Compensation Can Be Refused

The employer can refuse only in the cases the law lists, and the police investigation and the medical authority decide the facts. You can lose compensation if it is proven that the injury:

• was deliberately self-inflicted;
• happened under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
• was caused by a deliberate violation of safety instructions posted at the workplace;
• or followed a refusal of medical examination or treatment.

The safety-instruction rule applies only if the employer made the instructions visible and explained them in a language workers understand (Executive Regulation, Article 23). An employer that never trained workers cannot simply point to a sign.

If you are unsure whether your injury falls into one of these cases, speak to our lawyers on WhatsApp or use the Contact Us page.

If Your Employer Does Not Pay Or Disputes The Injury

Your next step is a complaint to the Ministry.

1. Get your medical report. The treating facility must give you a copy once treatment ends.
2. File a complaint with MoHRE through its website or app. The Labour Claims and Advisory Call Centre on 80084 can answer questions. See also our guide on filing a complaint against your employer.
3. MoHRE tries to settle the matter within 14 days. If the claim is under AED 50,000, or the parties settle, MoHRE can make a final decision.
4. If the claim is above AED 50,000 and there is no settlement, MoHRE refers it to the court. You must then register the case with the court within 14 days of the referral, and the court fixes a hearing within 3 days.
5. Judicial fees are waived for workers and their heirs on claims below AED 100,000, at every stage including enforcement.

The government’s page on resolving labour disputes also says that no claim for a right due is heard after one year from the date of the violation. It does not say how that period applies to an injury claim, so file as early as you can.

Papers Worth Keeping

Collect these documents early. They prove your wage and the accident.

• Every medical report and discharge paper, and the final report on your disability.
• Your contract and payslips, which prove your basic wage.
• The police report number and any MoHRE reference the employer gives you.
• Photos of the site and of your injury, and the names of any witnesses.
• Messages with your employer about the accident.

Relevant Legal Services

To discuss a work injury claim, speak to our lawyers on WhatsApp or use the Contact Us page. See our employment lawyers and our employment law practice.

Final Takeaway

Claiming workers’ compensation in Dubai requires prompt injury reporting, medical evidence, and a clear record of your basic wage. Employers have duties concerning medical treatment, wage payments, reporting, and compensation. Workers whose claims are disputed or unpaid should preserve their documents and use the appropriate MoHRE complaint and court procedures without unnecessary delay.