Harper Cross
Business Analyst & Researcher
Harper Cross is a business analyst and researcher. He studies politics and the Dubai real estate market, and writes about how policy and property shape business in the UAE.
At Dubai Business Insight, he writes about how new rules, policy decisions and the property market affect people who live, work and do business in the UAE.
How he works: every figure in his articles is checked against the official source, and that source is linked on the page. Each article shows when it was last checked. If you spot an error, tell us and we will fix it.
His articles explain the rules in general terms. They are not legal, tax or financial advice for your situation.
Articles
ILOE job-loss insurance costs AED 5 or AED 10 a month and pays 60% of your basic salary for up to three months. How to pay, check fines and make…
UAE gratuity is 21 days' basic pay a year for the first five years and 30 days a year after that, capped at two years' pay. The formula, worked examples…
The Emirates ID late renewal fine is AED 20 a day after a 30-day grace period, capped at AED 1,000. Here is how to check what you owe, pay it…
Track a new, renewed or replacement Emirates ID online with your application number or Emirates ID number, and find out what each status means and how long it takes.
Check any UAE residence or visit visa online in two minutes with your passport number, file number or Emirates ID, using ICP for most emirates and GDRFA for Dubai.
Use MOHRE's free online enquiry services to check your work permit, application status, job offer, contract and company details, and learn how to raise a labour complaint.
The UAE overstay fine is AED 50 for each day you stay after your visa or grace period ends. Here is how to check the amount on ICP or GDRFA,…
The UAE labour card is now an electronic work permit from MOHRE. Here is how to find your labour card number, check its status, print a copy and spot fake…
A plain-English map of the UAE labour law, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021: working hours, leave, probation, notice, dismissal, gratuity and how to make a claim, with article numbers.
UAE workers get 30 days' paid annual leave a year after one year of service, and 2 days a month between 6 and 12 months. Here is how leave pay,…
After probation, UAE private-sector workers get up to 90 days of sick leave a year: 15 days on full pay, 30 on half pay and the rest unpaid. Here is…
The UAE notice period is 30 to 90 days, as set in your contract, and it is the same for you and your employer. Here is how to resign, what…
If you are let go in the UAE, you are owed unpaid salary, notice pay, unused leave and gratuity within 14 days. Up to 3 months' wages is extra, and…
Probation in the UAE can last up to 6 months, only once with the same employer. Here is the notice each side must give, what happens to leave and pay,…
A freelance visa is really two things: a freelance permit and a residence visa. In Dubai, GoFreelance charges AED 7,500 a year for the permit, AED 2,000 for the establishment…
Residents pay AED 100 for each year of the new card plus a AED 100 smart fee. Here is who can renew, what you need, how long it takes and…