The UAE energy sector includes national oil and gas companies, drilling contractors, engineering and construction firms, oilfield service companies, and power and nuclear projects. Many of them list jobs open to expats. If you get a job here, your employer arranges your work permit and residence visa.
This guide explains the steps, who pays, what the Emirates ID is, and what Emiratisation means for expat energy workers. Rules change. Always check the official pages we link to, and ask your employer if something is unclear.
The basics
- You need a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) before you can work. Recruiting or employing a worker without one is not allowed (Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the UAE Labour Law).
- Your employer applies for your work visa. A standard employment visa is valid for two years and can be renewed (u.ae).
- Your employer pays the costs. The UAE government says the costs of recruitment and travel, and of getting your residence permit, are borne by the employer, and charging recruitment fees to job seekers is illegal (u.ae). The Labour Law says the employer may not charge the worker these fees, directly or indirectly (Article 6).
- Your employer may not keep your passport. The government says confiscating workers’ passports is prohibited (u.ae).
Step by step: from job offer to residence visa
These steps are for companies on the UAE mainland. They come from the government’s pages on job offers and employment and recruiting on the mainland.
- You receive a job offer. It must be in Arabic and English, and in a third language you understand. The employer signs it electronically and sends it to you in your home country, directly or through a recruitment agency. You review and approve it.
- Your employer gets a work permit from MOHRE. It is valid for 60 days.
- You get an entry permit valid for two months, and travel to the UAE.
- You complete the checks. Within those two months you take a medical fitness test and apply for your Emirates ID, and your employer gets your labour card.
- Your contract is registered. Both of you sign. The contract must be based on the signed offer and submitted to MOHRE within 14 days of your arrival. No clause may be changed unless your rights are protected, both of you agree, and MOHRE approves.
- You receive your residence visa, based on your work permit.
Since 1 January 2025, employers must buy health insurance for private-sector employees before they can apply for or renew a residence permit (u.ae).
Check your job offer
MOHRE has a public Offer Inquiry service. You enter the transaction number from your offer, your passport number and your nationality. If an offer cannot be found there, ask the employer why before you pay for anything or travel.
Costs the employer pays
For reference, the employer’s costs include:
- a work permit fee of AED 250 to AED 3,450, depending on how MOHRE classifies the company (u.ae)
- a bank guarantee of AED 3,000 per employee, which may be refunded when your service ends (u.ae)
- entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID and visa fees; check current amounts with ICP
Work permit types that matter in energy
MOHRE issues 13 types of work permit (u.ae). Three are common in energy work:
- Recruit from outside the UAE. The normal permit for a new hire from abroad. Valid for two years.
- Mission work permit. Lets a company bring in a worker from outside the UAE for a specific temporary job or time-bound project. This can fit short contracts, for example during a plant shutdown.
- Temporary work permit. Lets a company assign a worker who is already in the UAE to another company for a limited time; then the worker returns to the original employer.
If your offer is for a short project, ask which permit you will get and how long it lasts.
Free zone companies
Some energy companies are based in free zones. Free zone employees are sponsored by the free zone authority, not the employer, and each free zone has its own employment rules, which must be in line with the Labour Law (u.ae). Ask your employer who will sponsor you.
Your Emirates ID
The Emirates ID is an identity card issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP). It is mandatory for all residents, and you must carry it with you. When your residence visa is cancelled, your Emirates ID is cancelled automatically. If you lose it, report the loss to ICP within 7 days. Report changes to your personal details within one month (u.ae).
You will need your Emirates ID for many things, such as a bank account, a phone contract and renting a home.
Emiratisation: what it means for expats
Emiratisation means policies that increase the number of UAE citizens in private-sector jobs. The rules, from the official UAE portal (u.ae):
- Companies with 50 or more employees must raise the share of Emiratis in skilled jobs by 2% a year, to reach 10% by 2026. Companies that miss the target pay a contribution for each Emirati they did not hire: AED 6,000 a month from 2023, rising by AED 1,000 each year until 2026.
- Companies with 20 to 49 employees in 14 sectors must hire one Emirati by the end of 2024 and another by the end of 2025. The sectors include mining and quarrying, manufacturing and construction.
What this means for you: these targets do not stop companies hiring expats. Most of the workforce can still be non-Emirati. But some jobs, for example some graduate programmes, are open to UAE nationals only. If an ad says “UAE nationals” or “Emirati”, it is not open to you.
Long-term visas without an employer sponsor
Some experienced engineers and managers may qualify for a long-term visa that does not depend on one employer:
- Green Visa for skilled employees (5 years): a UAE work permit, a job at MOHRE skill level 1, 2 or 3, a bachelor’s degree, and at least AED 15,000 a month (ADRO).
- Golden Visa for skilled professionals (10 years): a UAE job at MOHRE level 1 (managers) or level 2 (professionals, including engineering), a bachelor’s degree, and at least AED 30,000 a month (Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development).
Many field and technician roles will not meet these conditions. The standard work visa is the normal route.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay for my UAE work visa?
No. The UAE government says the employer bears the costs of recruitment, travel and your residence permit, and that charging recruitment fees to job seekers is illegal. If an agent asks you for a fee, be careful.
What language will my UAE job offer be in?
The official UAE portal says job offers must be in Arabic and English, and in a third language that the worker understands. Your contract must be based on the offer you signed.
How do I check if a UAE job offer is real?
Use MOHRE’s public Offer Inquiry service with the transaction number on your offer, your passport number and your nationality. Also check the job on the company’s own careers website.
Does Emiratisation mean UAE energy companies do not hire expats?
No. Companies with 50 or more employees must reach 10% Emiratis in skilled jobs by 2026, so most staff can still be expats. Some programmes and ads are open to UAE nationals only.