The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has issued Ministerial Resolution 702 of 2025, imposing sweeping obligations on more than 1,500 licensed business-service centres that process work permits and residency applications across the UAE. Centres must now pre-screen all staff, encrypt customer data and operate strictly within their licensed activities. Violations—ranging from trading work permits to “fake Emiratisation” schemes where Emiratis are hired on paper—can trigger suspensions of three months to two years and fines of up to AED 100,000 per offence.
The crackdown responds to a spate of data-leak incidents and bogus quota filings uncovered during MoHRE’s 2024 audits. Under the new rules, user access to MoHRE e-channels is automatically revoked the moment a breach is confirmed, and reactivation is only possible after a compliance audit and the Under-Secretary’s sign-off. Repeat offenders face licence revocation and possible referral to the Public Prosecution.
![MoHRE’s Resolution 702 threatens two-year shutdowns for business centres that falsify Emiratisation records]()
For multinational companies that outsource onboarding to these centres, the resolution introduces both risk and opportunity. On the one hand, stricter governance should reduce identity-theft exposure and fraudulent visa issuance. On the other, processing times may lengthen as centres implement staff vetting and new cyber-security protocols. Employers are advised to build an extra week into mobilisation timelines and to request written confirmation that their service provider is now compliant.
Labour lawyers note that Resolution 702 aligns with the UAE’s broader push to enforce Emiratisation targets in the private sector, where firms with 50+ staff must raise the share of Emirati employees to 4 per cent by the end of 2025. By penalising intermediaries that aid non-compliance, MoHRE hopes to close loopholes and ensure that quota numbers translate into genuine jobs.
The crackdown responds to a spate of data-leak incidents and bogus quota filings uncovered during MoHRE’s 2024 audits. Under the new rules, user access to MoHRE e-channels is automatically revoked the moment a breach is confirmed, and reactivation is only possible after a compliance audit and the Under-Secretary’s sign-off. Repeat offenders face licence revocation and possible referral to the Public Prosecution.
For multinational companies that outsource onboarding to these centres, the resolution introduces both risk and opportunity. On the one hand, stricter governance should reduce identity-theft exposure and fraudulent visa issuance. On the other, processing times may lengthen as centres implement staff vetting and new cyber-security protocols. Employers are advised to build an extra week into mobilisation timelines and to request written confirmation that their service provider is now compliant.
Labour lawyers note that Resolution 702 aligns with the UAE’s broader push to enforce Emiratisation targets in the private sector, where firms with 50+ staff must raise the share of Emirati employees to 4 per cent by the end of 2025. By penalising intermediaries that aid non-compliance, MoHRE hopes to close loopholes and ensure that quota numbers translate into genuine jobs.
