What Employers Need to Know Before Building a Team in the UAE

In a recent LinkedIn post, Elrona D’Souza 🎙️SHRM-SCP℠ discusses the questions companies face when hiring in the UAE for the first time. This article reports on D’Souza’s post, which promotes a free webinar with Desma about preparing for UAE market entry in 2027 and beyond.

“Preparing to build a team in the UAE for the first time (especially when you are new to the UAE Market) comes with a whole host of questions…”

As Elrona D’Souza 🎙️SHRM-SCP℠ notes, those questions range from employment contracts and HR compliance to workforce quotas, payroll and whether requirements differ between mainland and free-zone businesses. The post presents these as practical issues for employers to understand before they begin hiring.

A broad agenda for market entry

According to Elrona D’Souza 🎙️SHRM-SCP℠, the webinar will cover the employment landscape, hiring models and key compliance considerations. The announced agenda also includes immigration and employee administration, including visas, work permits, payroll, benefits and onboarding.

“Employment contracts, HR policies and the key UAE employment law requirements”

The post’s focus on contracts and policies underscores the importance D’Souza places on understanding local employment requirements. The questions she raises include whether a company can adapt a UK template or needs a UAE employment contract, and whether its location in a mainland jurisdiction or free zone matters. The post poses these questions but does not offer detailed answers; it directs readers to the webinar for discussion.

Experience and practical lessons

Elrona D’Souza 🎙️SHRM-SCP℠ says she and Desma have supported more than 150 companies across 54-plus industries over 13 years, including global businesses building their first UAE team. She frames that experience as the basis for sharing lessons on common pitfalls and best practices.

“Live Q&A: bring your own questions and we’ll answer them on the spot”

The live question-and-answer session is a central part of the offer, giving attendees a chance to raise issues specific to their plans. D’Souza’s post positions the event as an introductory resource for employers weighing workforce models and preparing administrative processes ahead of expansion.

Webinar details

The post lists the session for Wednesday, 11 November, at 4 p.m. UAE time and 12 p.m. UK time. It invites readers to register through the link included in the original post. D’Souza describes the goal as helping companies prepare for a seamless UAE market entry.