UAE revokes licences of 2 domestic worker recruitment agencies

Two domestic worker recruitment agencies in the UAE have lost their licences for failing to comply with the law governing hiring domestic helps. The two agencies are Shamma Al Mahairi Domestic Workers Services Centre in Dubai and Al Barq Domestic Workers Services Centre L.L.C in Ajman.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) said: “These offices were found to have committed … legal violations, which required revoking their licences and asking their owners to settle the status of their workers, fulfil their obligations towards both workers and domestic workers’ employers, and pay any fines that were due until the date of licence cancellation.”

The ministry did not specify the exact nature of violations the agencies committed, but said it has notified relevant local authorities to take necessary legal actions against them.

The MoHRE said it will take action against any domestic worker recruitment agency found to be in violation of the law.

It said licensed domestic worker recruitment agencies across the UAE are under its supervision and “operate under clear regulations and systems to safeguard the rights of all parties and provide several services to clients, including unified pricing”.

A federal law on hiring domestic help was implemented in December last year. Emiratis and expats must only deal only with MoHRE-approved domestic worker recruitment agencies, which can be found on the ministry’s website. The ministry cautioned residents against dealing with unlicensed offices, “which carries legal consequences”.

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