Labour Court Abu Dhabi: From MoHRE Complaint to ADJD Judgment

Direct answer. If your employer is in Abu Dhabi and the dispute is about your private-sector job, you do not start at court. You start with a complaint to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). MoHRE tries to settle it, and it can decide claims of up to AED 50,000 itself (see the Article 54 note below). If a larger claim does not settle, MoHRE refers it to the judiciary, and in Abu Dhabi that means the Abu Dhabi Labour Court, part of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), in Musaffah. Claims by workers of up to AED 100,000 are exempt from court fees. This guide walks through each stage, the deadlines that apply, and how appeals work.

The route at a glance

The sections below explain each step and where each rule comes from.

Which court hears Abu Dhabi labour cases?

Abu Dhabi runs its own court system. The ADJD courts page says the system in the emirate "consists of courts of first instance, courts of appeal, and the Court of Cassation". Sharjah also has its own Judicial Department, and its Court of Cassation held its first session in July 2025, although some official pages still list Sharjah among the federal-court emirates, so check which court is named on your papers. Our Sharjah labour court guide covers the Sharjah route, and our overview of which UAE court handles your case explains the split between emirates.

Labour cases in Abu Dhabi go to a dedicated court. The ADJD Labour Court page says it was set up by Resolution No. 22 of 2018 of the Chairman of the Judicial Department. It hears "disputes that arise between workers and employers in the private sector, including government and semi-governmental companies and domestic workers". The court sits in a permanent building in the Musaffah industrial area. The ADJD page lists its address as 15th St, Musaffah, Mussafah 32/1, and the ADJD contact number as 600 599 799.

The court's chambers

ADJD splits the court into chambers by type and by claim value:

You do not choose the chamber. The court assigns it from your claim. The table helps you understand who will hear your case and why a large claim may follow a different track.

Domestic workers

The ADJD page says the court's jurisdiction includes domestic workers. Their rights come from a separate law, Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers, not the main labour law, so check that law for the rules on your claim.

ADGM employers

If your employer is registered in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), a financial free zone with its own courts, different employment rules may apply. This guide does not cover that route. Check with ADGM Courts before you file anywhere.

Stage 1: the MoHRE complaint

Outside the financial free zones (ADGM and DIFC), every private-sector labour dispute starts with MoHRE. Article 54 of the labour law, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, as amended (see the Article 54 note below), says a party with a dispute "shall apply to the Ministry", which examines the application and takes steps "for amicable settlement of dispute". The UAE government portal lists three channels: the MoHRE website, the MoHRE app, and the phone line 600 590 000 for complaints by UAE citizens. It also lists MoHRE's Labour Claims and Advisory Call Centre on the toll-free number 80084.

Our guide on how to file a labour complaint with MoHRE covers the filing itself. This guide picks up where MoHRE's role ends.

When MoHRE decides the case itself

MoHRE is not only a mediator. The UAE government portal, citing Ministerial Resolution No. 782 of 2023, says "MOHRE can make a final decision in labour disputes if: the amount claimed is less than AED 50,000 or the parties reach an amicable settlement, regardless of the claim's value". If the claim is above AED 50,000 and the parties cannot agree, "MOHRE must refer the case to the judiciary". Article 54(2), in the wording introduced by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024, words the limit as claims that do not exceed AED 50,000 (see the Article 54 note below).

Under Article 54(3), in the wording introduced by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024, a MoHRE decision has the force of an executive instrument, so it can be enforced like a judgment. Either party can take it to the Court of First Instance within 15 working days of being notified, filing that case suspends the MoHRE decision, and the court's judgment on it is final.

Note on Article 54 (checked 25 October 2026). The Article 54 text used for this guide matches the wording introduced by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024, captured from the UAE Legislation Portal on 15 October 2026. The Gazette publication date and exact commencement date of that amendment were not confirmed in this review. The earlier wording, from Federal Decree-Law No. 20 of 2023 (in force from 1 January 2024), differed in several ways, including that a challenge to a MoHRE decision went to the Court of Appeal and that claims were not heard one year after the right fell due. Before you rely on any Article 54 point, check the notice on your MoHRE decision, or ask MoHRE.

When MoHRE refers the case to court

The UAE government portal says that if "a friendly settlement is not possible within 14 days from the date of application", MoHRE refers the dispute to the competent court. The referral comes with a memo summarising the dispute, both sides' arguments and MoHRE's recommendation. For an Abu Dhabi employer, the competent court is the Abu Dhabi Labour Court. ADJD describes this as a two-phase journey: phase 1 at MoHRE, phase 2 at ADJD.

After the referral: duties with deadlines

The government portal sets out what a worker must do once MoHRE refers a complaint, citing Ministerial Resolution No. 47 of 2022:

1. Register the case within 14 days. You must register the complaint with the competent court "within a maximum period of 14 days from the date of approving the referral to the judiciary".
2. Do not work for another employer without a temporary permit. You need a temporary work permit from MoHRE first.
3. Know the six-month rule. If the complaint led you to stop working, your work permit is cancelled six months after the referral to the labour court.
4. Ask for the old permit to be cancelled. If the employment has ended, ask for the original work permit to be cancelled within 14 days of the final judgment.

The portal also cites Article 31 of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, the executive regulations of the labour law. It says a referred worker must "quickly file a case", and that a worker who keeps working for the employer while the case is in court can claim two months' wages. Article 54 (see the note above) also lets MoHRE order the employer to keep paying wages for up to two months if the dispute has stopped your salary.

Stage 2: filing at the Abu Dhabi Labour Court

Registration happens with ADJD, through its digital services or at the court. The ADJD service list includes an Appeals Case Register, a Cassation case register and Enforcement Case Registration for individuals.

Language

Arabic is the official language of the courts under Article 5 of the Civil Procedure Code. The court hears non-Arabic speakers through a sworn interpreter. Plan for Arabic versions of your key documents, and ask the court which translations it will accept.

What to have ready

ADJD does not publish a single document checklist on the pages we read. For the court stage, add these to the evidence you gave MoHRE:

• the MoHRE referral and its memo;
• a breakdown of each amount you claim, such as unpaid salary, notice pay, leave pay and end-of-service gratuity, with dates;
• Arabic translations of key documents written in another language.

Your contract, Wage Protection System (WPS) salary records, termination letter and messages are the same evidence listed in our MoHRE complaint guide.

How fast the court moves

The UAE government portal, describing Article 54, says the competent court "will, within three days from the date of receiving the request, fix a hearing for the claim and notify the two parties" (Article 54 sets three working days; see the note above). We found no official figure for how long an Abu Dhabi labour case takes from filing to judgment. Disputes over amounts often need an expert report, and that can add time.

Court fees

Article 55 of the labour law says: "Labor lawsuits shall be exempted from judicial fees at all stages of litigation and execution, as well as the requests submitted by Workers or their heirs of which value does not exceed one hundred thousand (100,000) AED." The government portal puts it the same way: workers or their heirs pay no judicial fees "at all stages of litigation and execution, for claims less than AED 100,000". The Cabinet can change that figure.

For larger claims, fees apply. The ADJD Labour Court page lists Abu Dhabi Law No. 13 of 2017 on judicial fees in the emirate among its laws. We did not read a fee table for labour claims above AED 100,000, so ask ADJD for the amount before you file. Employers pay fees on their own claims under the normal rules.

Appeals and cassation

Appeal

ADJD says it applies litigation "on two levels", so a first-instance judgment can be appealed "in all types of cases except for the final cases, which are stipulated by law". Its Court of Appeal has labour chambers of three judges.

Article 161 of the Civil Procedure Code sets the deadline: "The time limit for appeal shall be thirty [30] days unless otherwise provided for in the law, and for summary proceedings, the time limit shall be ten [10] days." If you are appealing a judgment in a case that started as a challenge to a MoHRE decision, check the deadline that applies to that judgment. Under Article 54(3) in its 2024 wording, the Court of First Instance's judgment in that kind of case is final (see the Article 54 note above).

Cassation

The Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation is the highest court in the emirate and hears challenges to Court of Appeal judgments. Article 178 of the Civil Procedure Code gives 30 days to file. Article 159 limits it: a Court of Appeal judgment is "final and unchallengeable by way of cassation" when the value of the case does not exceed AED 500,000. A cassation challenge must be signed by a lawyer admitted before that court (Article 179).

The Code also sets a fixed cassation fee of AED 2,000 and a security deposit of AED 3,000 that is refunded only if the challenge is admitted, and says any party exempt from legal costs is also exempt from the deposit (Article 181). How these sit alongside the Abu Dhabi fees law is for ADJD to confirm.

Time limits for bringing a claim

Do not wait. The sources disagree on the exact limit, so act on the shorter one.

The portal's Arabic page matches the earlier 2023 wording of Article 54(9), which counted one year from the date the right fell due. The 2024 wording counts two years from the end of the employment relationship. This guide does not resolve the difference, and the commencement date of the 2024 amendment was not confirmed. If you are anywhere near one year, file the MoHRE complaint now and confirm the limit with MoHRE or a lawyer.

Enforcing a judgment or MoHRE decision

Winning does not pay you automatically. If the employer does not pay, you open an enforcement case with ADJD's enforcement circuits; the ADJD service list includes Enforcement Case Registration for individuals. A MoHRE decision that has the force of an executive instrument can be enforced the same way. Article 55 exempts workers' claims of up to AED 100,000 from fees at the execution stage too.

If you settle after filing

Many cases settle once they reach court. If your employer pays after you filed, close the case properly through the court, not by missing hearings. Our short answer on how to withdraw a labour case after a private settlement explains the two usual ways, and the care needed if only part of the money has been paid.

Mistakes that cost Abu Dhabi workers time

• Going straight to court. The government portal's Arabic page, describing Article 54 and its amendments, says the court must reject a case that did not go through the MoHRE application first.
• Missing the 14-day registration window. Count from the date MoHRE approves the referral, not from your last meeting.
• Ignoring the MoHRE decision on a small claim. For claims of up to AED 50,000, MoHRE's decision can become enforceable if nobody challenges it within the deadline shown on the decision.
• Taking a new job without a temporary permit. That can create a second problem while the first is in court.
• Claiming one round number. Break the claim into wages, notice, leave and gratuity, with dates. It is what the court and any expert will check. If the dispute is about how the job ended, our guide on termination, notice and just cause explains what the law looks at.
• Treating ADGM like the rest of Abu Dhabi. An ADGM employer may mean a different law and a different court.

When to get legal help

Many workers handle the MoHRE stage alone. A lawyer is most useful once the case reaches court: drafting the claim in Arabic, dealing with an expert, deciding whether to appeal, and anything at cassation, where a lawyer's signature is required. Lawyers set their own fees and you pay them directly. You can find an employment lawyer on LEXAI and contact them directly, or ask the LEXAI AI assistant a first question. For the term itself, see the labour court entry in our dictionary.

This is general legal information, not legal advice. Confirm current procedure with MoHRE, ADJD or a licensed UAE lawyer.