Who must subscribe
All employees in the federal government and the private sector must join the scheme. It excludes investors (owners of the establishment where they work), domestic workers, employees on temporary contracts, juveniles under 18, and Emirati citizens who have met the conditions for retirement or retirees receiving a pension who have taken a new job. [1]
What it costs
- First category: a basic salary below AED 16,000; the premium is no more than AED 5 a month.
- Second category: a basic salary above AED 16,000; the premium is no more than AED 10 a month. [1]
A worker who does not subscribe is fined AED 400. [1]
What it pays
After at least 12 continuous months of subscription, an insured worker who loses their job receives 60% of the subscription salary for 3 months, up to AED 10,000 a month in the first category and AED 20,000 a month in the second. [1]
How to subscribe
There are nine channels for subscribing and paying, among them the ILOE website and app, its contact centre, business service centres (Tasheel and Tawjeeh), ATMs and kiosks, exchange companies, some banks' apps, SMS through du and Etisalat, and the BOTIM app. [1]
Sources
- UAE Government portal, "Unemployment Insurance Scheme" (updated 8 December 2025): https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Workplace-regulations/insurance/unemployment-insurance-scheme