What was Article 121 of the old UAE Labour Law about resignation?

Article 121 of the old UAE Labour Law (Federal Law No. 8 of 1980) listed the situations in which a worker could leave the job without notice while keeping their entitlements — for example, where the employer breached its obligations or assaulted the worker. That 1980 law has been repealed and replaced by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, which took effect in February 2022, so 'Article 121' is no longer the live provision even though many older articles still circulate online. The protection itself survives in the new law: a worker can still resign without notice on similar grounds, such as a serious employer breach or assault, and without forfeiting end-of-service rights. The practical lesson is to rely on the current Decree-Law rather than the repealed article numbers when assessing your position, because the framework, definitions and remedies were updated. If you are considering leaving on these grounds, document the employer's conduct first. You can compare verified UAE legal professionals on LEXAI to confirm your situation against the current law before resigning, and raise breaches with MOHRE.