The UAE is to impose fines of up to Dh1 million on employers who breach labour laws when hiring staff under a major drive to bolster workers' rights.
The government has issued a federal decree setting out a host of tough punishments for companies, including hiring minors, employing workers without valid permits and bringing people into the country but failing to provide them with jobs.
The directives will also introduce criminal penalties for companies which fake recruitment figures, including employing fictitious staff to meet Emiratisation goals.
Criminal proceedings can be initiated only at the request of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
Authorities said the strict measures were part of efforts to tighten employment regulations and ensure workers are protected by law.
The new legislation includes:
• Fines from Dh100,000 to Dh1 million for employing workers without valid work permits, bringing workers to the country without providing jobs, or closing businesses without settling obligations to workers.
• Fines from Dh100,000 to Dh1 million for committing employment fraud, including creating fictitious workers. Penalties and fines may be multiplied by the number of workers who are fictitiously employed.
• The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has been granted powers to settle cases, provided the employer pays half of the minimum value of the fine and pays back to the government the financial incentives obtained by the fake employees.
• Disputes will be brought before the courts in instances where companies seek to contest the ministry's decision.
Holding employers to account
The amended labour regulations come just weeks before the UAE embarks on a nationwide visa amnesty, to allow people with expired documentation to secure their status or leave the country without being fined.
The government initiative will provide a two-month grace period for those with lapsed residency visas from September 1.
The initiative will offer a reprieve to residents left without valid documentation after losing employment or being duped by unscrupulous recruiters offering false hope of employment.
A community leader in the UAE welcomed the amnesty and set out some of the reasons why foreign citizens may end up staying without a residency visa.
“It is a big relief for so many. There are people who came here searching for jobs and they overstayed,” said Ishtiyak Raziq, former president of Sahana, a Sri Lankan welfare association.
“There are also people duped by agents who promised higher paying jobs and they end up with nothing and they overstay.
Supporting workers
The updated rules mark the latest step by the government to protect the country's workforce as well as job seekers.
In December 2022, a new domestic labour law came into effect. The directives expanded the number of offences, which are punishable by fines and imprisonment, for breaches of working conditions and rules from four to eight.
They included fines of between Dh20,000 and Dh100,000 and up to six months in prison for those who provide false information or fake documents to employ domestic helpers.
Penalties ranging from Dh50,000 to Dh200,000 can be levied for hiring unlicensed workers, recruiting staff but not providing a job or using permits for domestic workers for purposes other than those for which they were issued.
On Tuesday, the government issued a further federal decree amending some provisions of the domestic worker law.
The update gives the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation the authority to settle disputes between employers, recruitment agencies and workers when they cannot be resolved amicably.
The ministry is able to adjudicate in such matters when the value of the claim does not exceed Dh50,000 or if the dispute is caused by one of the parties failing to adhere to a previous ruling.
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20Profile
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
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Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
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Price: From Dh192,500
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Kamindu Mendis bio
Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis
Born: September 30, 1998
Age: 20 years and 26 days
Nationality: Sri Lankan
Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team
Batting style: Left-hander
Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
SERIES INFO
Schedule:
All matches at the Harare Sports Club
1st ODI, Wed Apr 10
2nd ODI, Fri Apr 12
3rd ODI, Sun Apr 14
4th ODI, Sun Apr 16
UAE squad
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Zimbabwe squad
Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura
