Emirate of Sharjah raises minimum wage for UAE nationals

According to an automatic translation of an announcement from the Sharjah Media Office, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi said the minimum wage had been increased after conducting studies with the emirate’s Department of Social Services. The sheikh said the salary was intended to give citizens a good life.

The sheikh added that Sharjah would form an ‘employment processing committee’ to work under his supervision, which would encompass statistics, social services and human resources departments.

The committee will be tasked with studying job applications and finding solutions for unemployment.

Employment law expert Luke Tapp of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law, said: “This new minimum wage in Sharjah is a really positive development for UAE nationals working within Sharjah and the community generally. 

“It is a great example of the UAE authorities prioritising employee welfare and Emiratisation, and ensuring certain minimum rights and entitlements are provided to employees working within the UAE,” Tapp said.

According to the announcement, there are currently 12,000 job seekers in Sharjah. The sheikh said the emirate would not “close the doors” to anyone looking for work, even if they did not meet the conditions of employment.

Sharjah is the third-largest emirate within the UAE.

Last year the UAE’s neighbour Qatar set a new non-discriminatory minimum wage of QAR 1,000 per month ($275) for all private sector workers, with an additional QAR 800 for accommodation and food expenses unless these are already provided by the employer. The Qatari minimum wage came into effect in March this year.