A practical, source-linked payroll compliance reference for international companies entering the region: Wage Protection Systems, social insurance rates, end-of-service rules, provider comparisons, calculators and official legislation, across nine markets. Rules and rates reviewed for 2026.
Jump straight to the guide or tool for your task.
WPS, gratuity, GPSSA and Emiratisation, with the official sources.
GOSI, Mudad WPS and Saudization, step by step.
Wage protection, social insurance and end-of-service, side by side.
Model total cost of employment and social insurance in nine markets.
See the wage-protection rules and deadlines for each country.
Estimate the gratuity or indemnity due when someone leaves.
Across the GCC, payroll shifted from a back-office cost to a live regulatory exposure. Authorities now audit salary data automatically, and penalties include fines, work-permit suspensions and blacklisting.
Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026 (effective 1 June 2026) monitors wage payments from the due date, with an escalation ladder from work-permit suspension (day 5) to labour-dispute registration (day 16).
Establishments with 50+ staff must lift Emirati headcount 1% each half-year (AED 10,000 per month per unfilled role). Some 20 to 49-employee firms in selected sectors also have Emirati-hiring obligations under different rules.
Under the new Social Insurance Law, rates for new-system employees rise 0.5% a year, reaching 23.5% from July 2026 and 25.5% by 2028. Transition management is genuinely complex.
Misclassifying employees as independent contractors can create employment, immigration, tax and social-insurance exposure. Treatment depends on the actual working relationship and applicable local law.
Payroll records, contracts and payment evidence help substantiate employment expenditure. Corporate-tax deductibility remains subject to the general expense rules and applicable limitations.
From 1 January 2026 the insurable wage band moved to EGP 2,700 to 16,700 per month, raising employer and employee contribution amounts across the board.
Pick a country for its wage-protection rules, social-insurance rates, end-of-service formula, deadlines, penalties, an employer checklist and the official portals, tiered from a plain-language summary to the technical detail.
Select a market to generate its payroll obligations
Indicative calculations based on the figures you enter and the assumptions shown: an end-of-service calculator using each country's published formula, and an employer-cost and social-insurance calculator across all nine markets.
Indicative only, based on your inputs and the assumptions shown. Rates last reviewed: 19 July 2026.
Filter the Middle East payroll landscape by model and by what you actually need. Sort by regional depth and compliance expertise to see who goes deep versus wide.
Showing all providers
| Provider | Model | Coverage | GCC depth | Compliance expertise | WPS / Bank integration | EOSB automation | Best for |
|---|
Open any country for the full guide: WPS rules, social insurance, end-of-service and official sources.
A selection of the questions founders and finance leads search most. Each country guide carries its full set of FAQs.
See the full FAQs on each country guide →
Sources are grouped by type. Official ministries, wage-protection platforms and social-insurance bodies are the controlling references; professional analysis and commercial listings are provided for explanation and market context only, not as legal authority.