Start a Manpower Recruitment Agency in UAE

Good manpower is the foundation of any organization, and if it is lacking, then it can be quite difficult to vouch for its growth and development in the long run. UAE is growing to be the best market in the world, with many businesses lining up to start their startups and business franchises in various sectors such as manufacturing, oil and gas, hospitality, wholesale, retail, and so on. Therefore, the Manpower Recruitment Agency has many opportunities in the United Arab Emirates.

This makes sure that manpower is an essential part of the business that is setup in the UAE, and hence, it makes it a viable business opportunity in the UAE. To start an entrepreneurial venture that has the major objective of supplying manpower in the UAE can be done easily, but there is a need to follow up with some terms and conditions before starting the business.

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Requirements for Start a Recruitment Agency in the UAE


To start a business as a Manpower recruitment agency in the UAE, you will require two kinds of licences:

  • Brokerage Licence

Companies that have the business activity of mediating between the UAE and foreign nationals or foreign companies need a brokerage licence. The brokerage licence gives the recruitment agency the following benefits: 

  • Process employment applications from UAE nationals as well as foreign nationals.
  • Receiving requests from companies if they want to hire manpower either form the UAE or even from foreign countries.
  • Make available a database of jobs that are available in different industries.
  • Maintain a good and effective list of prospective employers and employees.
  • Temporary Recruitment License

A temporary recruitment agency is entrusted with the curation of an effective candidate list, interviews them, and shortlists the best ones in that lot. They can recruit employees from the UAE and outside of the UAE. The recruitment agency acts as the sponsor for the foreign nationals that are being recruited.

How to start a recruitment agency in the UAE?

Most agencies in the UAE recruit foreign nationals, which can also be called ex-pats. 

  • The first step to starting a recruitment agency in the UAE is to decide the name of the company. The criteria for which the name of the company has to be based on the strict criteria decided by the UAE authorities. The name should not be similar to any existing businesses and it should be of any obscene language or related to any of the Islamic cultures.
  • The second step is to notarize the company-related documents like Articles of Association and Memorandum of Association.
  • The next step is to submit the relevant documents that is required to obtain the licence, which are:
  • Copies of passports of the company shareholders.
  • Copy of the national IDs
  • A code of ethics statement
  • Copy of the trade name application
  • Written statement mentioning the company formation.
  • Blueprint of the company’s location.
  • Once the documents are submitted, then the licence to start the business as a manpower recruitment supplier can be proceeded with. The licence has to be renewed yearly.
  • Once the company receives its licence to carry on its business objective as a manpower recruiter the next step is to apply for the labour card and the establishment card. This is registered with the Ministry of Labour, UAE.
  • After the labour card is issued, then the native workers have to be registered with the Ministry of Labour. 
  • You also have to register your workers under the General Pension and Social Security benefits under the UAE government. 

Conditions for starting a manpower recruitment agency in the UAE

  • Only UAE nationals can apply for the licence of the manpower recruitment agency in the UAE. 
  • The agency manager of the manpower recruitment agency should be a UAE local and should be registered with the ministry of labour. 
  • Expats can start a manpower recruitment agency in the UAE only in the free zones.
  • The educational qualification of the person who is applying for the manpower recruitment agency should be graduation or at least a high school leaving certificate.
  • The manpower recruitment agency should have a head office in the location specified in the application and there should be relevant activities taking place there.
  • There should be an adequate number of supervisors and managers for the manpower recruitment agency in the UAE.
  • All the shareholders of the company should be above the age of 21 years. 
  • To ensure the safety of workers, the company should pay an additional of AED 2000 per worker.
  • The partners of the manpower recruitment agency in the UAE should have a clean legal record.
  • If there are any changes in the agency, then those changes should be intimated to the Ministry of Labour, UAE.
  • A bank guarantee of AED 300,000 has to be deposited by the recruitment agency till the time they conduct the business in the UAE.

Cost of starting a manpower recruitment agency in the UAE

There is no definite cost that can be pinpointed. The charges or fees to start a manpower recruitment agency in the UAE can be largely dependent on the size, setup, and location of the business. In MainLand business setup and freezone business setup rates are different, and the rate depends on which business. 

In general, establishing a business in Dubai’s free zone can cost around AED 17,900, while doing so on the mainland can cost around AED 18,500.

Starting a manpower recruitment agency in the UAE is a very lucrative business opportunity. With the help of a good business consultant, it can be easily done without any hassles. And this is where, with the service of Kilton's Business Setup Consultancy, it becomes easier to go through the process. Kiltons has a good panel of professionals who can assist your business in a variety of ways. We give you the necessary advice on where to start your business and help with the submission of the necessary documents. Since its inception, Kilton has been keeping its clients satisfied, and this is one of the primary reasons why you need to consider us for your business setup.

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