Keele Research Repository

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the wider Gulf region is an epicentre for global business. A hallmark of this prosperous oil-producing region is the reliance it has on migrant workers sourced from South Asia. Unfortunately these largely unskilled migrant workers have been subjected to poor employment practise and due to their vulnerability they experience an unprecedented amount of employment disputes.
A combination of the UAE’s immigration and labour law manages not only the entry and stay of these migrant workers but also the avenues available for resolving their employment disputes. Furthermore, it is these policies and their enactment that have become the focus of international criticism for failing to provide the necessary protection to migrant workers from unscrupulous employers.
This study has examined these domestic policies in light of both international and Islamic law and has advocated a case for reform. Moreover, the fieldwork conducted includes a detailed quantitative investigation based on the opinions of migrant workers into the challenges presented by the nature of the UAE’s employment dispute management systems. The results have shown that the employment dispute resolution system has yielded some negative outcomes showing that the service provided by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is in need to continual review and assessment.
Although the UAE has been taking positive steps to remedy the issues migrant workers have been experiencing, it is anticipated that this research can be a positive driver for empowering that process.