How to read your Gulf employment contract
The ten things to check before you sign, and what to do if the Arabic and English versions are different.
6 min readStart with the numbers
Most problems come from a few numbers: basic salary, allowances, working hours, leave days, notice period and contract length. Find each one and write it down.
Basic salary matters most: end-of-service benefits are usually calculated from it, not from the total salary.
The ten things to check
- 1Basic salary, written as a number and in words.
- 2Each allowance: housing, transport, food, phone.
- 3Total monthly salary.
- 4Working hours per day and the weekly rest day.
- 5Annual leave and when you can take it.
- 6Probation period.
- 7Notice period to end the contract.
- 8Contract length and end date.
- 9Ticket home: who pays and how often.
- 10End-of-service benefits (gratuity).
When the Arabic and English columns differ
Many contracts show Arabic and English side by side. If a number is different between the two, do not sign yet. Ask your employer to correct it, or ask the labour ministry which version is official.
Check the official record
After signing, your contract is usually registered on the labour ministry's platform. Check that the registered salary and dates match the paper you signed. If they do not, raise it immediately.
Keep copies
Keep a photo of every page you sign, your offer letter and your salary slips. They are your proof if anything goes wrong later.
General information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and change over time; always check the official source.