HR software in Abu Dhabi for small businesses
Abu Dhabi runs two employment systems side by side: the mainland under MOHRE, and ADGM with its own Employment Regulations. Emirati employees in Abu Dhabi register with the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund, not GPSSA. HR FLARE keeps people, leave and AED payroll together and exports the WPS salary file.
What is different about HR for a small company in Abu Dhabi?
Two things. First, companies licensed in ADGM follow the ADGM Employment Regulations 2024, in force since 1 April 2025, not the federal labour law. Second, employers register Emirati employees in Abu Dhabi with the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund within one month of joining.
Who regulates employment in Abu Dhabi?
Your licence decides the law; your employee's nationality decides the pension authority.
| Situation | Authority | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland licence | MOHRE, under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 | MOHRE work permits and contracts; salaries paid through WPS |
| ADGM | ADGM, under the Employment Regulations 2024 | Its own employment and visa rules, plus the ADGM Data Protection Regulations 2021. Dual licence holders with ADDED whose staff fall under federal law are exempt |
| Other free zones such as KEZAD or Masdar City | Each zone's authority | Employee visas and employment rules through the zone itself |
| Emirati employees | Abu Dhabi Pension Fund (ADPF) | Registration within one month of joining. In the other emirates this is GPSSA |
ADGM Employment Regulations 2024
ADGM published its Employment Regulations 2024, which took effect on 1 April 2025. Key changes include a new definition of employee that allows remote hires and flexible arrangements, clearer entitlements for part time staff, clearer requirements for obtaining and cancelling work permits and visas, and wider obligations on discrimination and victimisation.
ADGM also has its own Data Protection Regulations 2021. HR FLARE hosts data in Europe, so an ADGM company needs to assess those regulations itself.
Emirati employees and the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund
Government and private employers must register UAE national employees with the pension authority within one month of their joining date. In Abu Dhabi that authority is the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund; in Dubai, Sharjah and the other emirates it is GPSSA.
ADPF contribution rates depend on the member's joining date, with separate rules for new members since 1 December 2023. HR FLARE does not calculate pension contributions, so confirm the rates with the fund directly.
The WPS file for a mid-month joiner
Every EDR line in a SIF carries a pay start and end date, and both must fall in the same month. A mid-month joiner gets their actual start date and the number of paid days, and a salary that spans two months needs two separate lines. Each line also has a field for unpaid leave days in the period.
In Abu Dhabi, employers must provide health insurance for their employees under Abu Dhabi Law No. 23 of 2005.
Holidays in Abu Dhabi
UAE public holidays are the same for both sectors. In 2026 the private sector Eid al-Adha holiday ran from Tuesday 26 May, Arafat Day, to Friday 29 May. Hijri dates depend on the moon sighting, so HR FLARE pre-computes them from the Umm al-Qura calendar and you adjust them once the official announcement is out.
Typical HR tasks in Abu Dhabi
- Registering each new Emirati employee with ADPF within one month.
- Checking whether your ADGM licence is a dual licence whose staff fall under federal law.
- Paying mid-month joiners and leavers correctly in the SIF.
- Renewing each employee's health insurance before it lapses.
- Tracking annual leave balances, with the annual leave calculator (Arabic).
How HR FLARE helps in Abu Dhabi
Real capabilities in the product today. The free plan covers up to 5 employees.
WPS SIF export
HR FLARE builds the SIF from your payroll run, one EDR line per employee plus the SCR control record, ready to upload through your bank or exchange house.
Payroll in AED
Gross, deductions, net and payslips in AED, with a full record of every run.
Holidays and weekend
Islamic holidays are pre-computed from the Umm al-Qura calendar and you shift any date to match the official announcement. Pick your own weekend days.
Hijri dates
Dates show in Hijri next to Gregorian, which makes Ramadan and Eid planning easier.
Arabic and English
A full right to left Arabic interface, and every user picks their own language on the same data.
AI assistant and MCP
Ask about your team in Arabic or English, or connect HR FLARE to Claude or ChatGPT over MCP.
What HR FLARE does not do
- No pension calculation: ADPF and GPSSA contributions are calculated and paid outside HR FLARE.
- No government portal connection: visas and permits stay in the MOHRE or ADGM portal, and HR FLARE does not transfer salaries.
- Data location: data is hosted in Europe; in-country hosting is not available.
Frequently asked questions
Does the federal labour law apply to companies in ADGM?
Where do I register an Emirati employee in Abu Dhabi?
How does a mid-month joiner appear in the WPS file?
Does HR FLARE know the Eid dates in Abu Dhabi?
Is HR FLARE compliant with the ADGM Data Protection Regulations?
Sources
- MOHRE: Laws and regulations
- Finance Middle East: New ADGM Employment Regulations from April 2025
- UAE government portal: Pensions and social security for UAE citizens
- Zoho Payroll: GPSSA and ADPF pension contributions
- Dubai Islamic Bank: WPS file format reference guide (PDF)
- Aletihad: Eid al-Adha 2026 holiday for the private sector
- UAE government portal: Public holidays
Last reviewed 30 September 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice: always confirm with the official authority.
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