In a parallel safety measure to the aviation shutdown, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) issued a circular on Sunday, 1 March 2026 instructing all private-sector companies to switch to **remote operations until close of business on Tuesday, 3 March**.
The directive, echoed by both The National and Gulf News, urges employers to "keep workers away from open spaces" because fragments from intercepted missiles and drones injured at least four residents over the weekend. Schools and universities—public and private—have likewise moved to distance learning until Wednesday.
While the order is time-limited, it is the first nationwide work-from-home mandate since the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in 2023 and therefore re-awakens questions about salary allowances, data-protection compliance and permanent-establishment risks when expatriate managers perform revenue-generating tasks from locations other than their licensed offices.
![UAE labour ministry orders private-sector remote work through 3 March]()
On a practical note, expatriates worried about impending visa renewals or emergency travel during the remote-work window can turn to VisaHQ for fast, contactless assistance. The company’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) lets applicants extend residence permits, arrange new entry visas and schedule secure document pickup without visiting government centres—helping employers keep immigration matters on track while staff work from home.
MoHRE cited Article 17 of the Federal Labour Law, which empowers the ministry to impose special work arrangements in circumstances that threaten public safety. Non-compliance can attract fines of up to AED 50,000 per incident and suspension of work-permit quotas.
Global employers are advised to document the remote-work period in addenda to assignment letters, verify that virtual-private-network capacity is sufficient for two additional days of peak traffic and monitor staff whose residence visas or Emirates IDs are due to expire this week; government service centres remain open online but some biometric clinics are operating reduced hours.
The directive, echoed by both The National and Gulf News, urges employers to "keep workers away from open spaces" because fragments from intercepted missiles and drones injured at least four residents over the weekend. Schools and universities—public and private—have likewise moved to distance learning until Wednesday.
While the order is time-limited, it is the first nationwide work-from-home mandate since the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in 2023 and therefore re-awakens questions about salary allowances, data-protection compliance and permanent-establishment risks when expatriate managers perform revenue-generating tasks from locations other than their licensed offices.
On a practical note, expatriates worried about impending visa renewals or emergency travel during the remote-work window can turn to VisaHQ for fast, contactless assistance. The company’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) lets applicants extend residence permits, arrange new entry visas and schedule secure document pickup without visiting government centres—helping employers keep immigration matters on track while staff work from home.
MoHRE cited Article 17 of the Federal Labour Law, which empowers the ministry to impose special work arrangements in circumstances that threaten public safety. Non-compliance can attract fines of up to AED 50,000 per incident and suspension of work-permit quotas.
Global employers are advised to document the remote-work period in addenda to assignment letters, verify that virtual-private-network capacity is sufficient for two additional days of peak traffic and monitor staff whose residence visas or Emirates IDs are due to expire this week; government service centres remain open online but some biometric clinics are operating reduced hours.
