UAE Employees Stranded Abroad: Know About Your Salary & Work Rights

As regional airspace restrictions triggered by the Iran-Israel-US conflict continue to disrupt travel across the Gulf, thousands of UAE employees stranded abroad since the UAE’s airspace was partially closed on 28 February 2026. The resulting uncertainty has sparked pressing questions about salary continuation, leave policies, and employer obligations under UAE labour law. Here is a comprehensive breakdown of exactly where both employees and companies stand. So, if you are wondering where you stand in this situation, then read this.

What Triggered the Crisis? A Quick Timeline

• 28 February 2026: The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced a temporary partial closure of UAE airspace as a precautionary measure following overnight missile and drone exchanges between the US-Israel coalition and Iran that spilt into Gulf skies. All major UAE airlines, Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, and Air Arabia, have suspended commercial operations.
• 1–2 March 2026: Dubai International Airport (DXB), Dubai World Central (DWC), Zayed International Airport (Abu Dhabi), Sharjah International Airport, and other UAE airports were fully grounded for over 24 hours, paralysing two of the world’s busiest long-haul hubs and stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers.
• 2 March onwards: Dubai Airports announced a limited resumption of operations at DXB and DWC on the evening of 2 March 2026. Flights, however, remained severely restricted.
• 6–19 March 2026: Etihad began operating a limited schedule to roughly 70 destinations. Emirates resumed a reduced schedule serving 82 countries. Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah airports resumed with limited flights.
• 9–11 March 2026: Iranian missile and drone attacks continued across the Gulf. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar reported interceptions. The UAE activated air defences during alerts, briefly causing arrival holds at Dubai. Drones fell near Dubai on 11 March, injuring several people, though airport operations continued.
• As of 13 March 2026, the OMAE/Emirates FIR (Flight Information Region) remains partially open with tightly controlled entry and exit points. EASA’s safety bulletin (CZIB 2026-03) covering UAE airspace was extended on 11 March and is valid until 18 March 2026.

UAE Labour Law: What Does It Actually Say?

The primary piece of legislation governing employment in the UAE is UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relations. This law does not contain a specific provision addressing situations where employees are stranded outside the UAE due to airspace closures, conflicts, or force majeure events.

Instead, legal experts confirm that such cases are assessed through the general principles embedded in the law, including:

• An employee’s obligation to perform their contracted duties
• Recognition of when an absence is legitimate and justified
• The employer’s duty is to act in good faith and reasonably in extraordinary circumstances.

If an employee is stranded outside the UAE due to circumstances beyond their control, such as war or the closure of airspace, the absence is likely to be considered a legitimate and justified absence. In such cases, employers are expected to assess the situation reasonably and not treat the absence as misconduct.” — Rajiv Suri, Senior Associate, Alsuwaidi & Company (UAE-based law firm), as cited by Gulf News, March 2026. The official government notification effectively serves as collective evidence.

Can Your Employer Fire You for Being Absent?

This is the question most employees are asking. The short answer: it is legally very risky for employers to dismiss staff for absences caused by the airspace crisis. Article 44 of UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 permits an employer to terminate an employee without notice only if the employee is absent without a valid reason for:

• More than 7 consecutive days, OR
• More than 20 intermittent days within a single year

However, the operative phrase is “without a valid reason.” Since the UAE’s own aviation authority issued the airspace closure, absences during this period are widely considered to have a valid, documented reason. In practical terms, employers who proceed with dismissals on the basis of this absence alone are exposed to unfair dismissal claims before the UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) and potentially before the courts.

Salary Rights: Should You Still Be Paid?

The answer depends largely on whether the UAE employees stranded abroad can work remotely. Here is how it breaks down:

In practice, the UAE’s labour framework emphasises flexibility and good faith. Many employers in the UAE are handling this through cooperative arrangements, temporary remote work authorisation, flexible leave, or adjustments to contractual terms, to avoid disputes while circumstances remain outside anyone’s control.

What Employees Must Do: A Practical Checklist

Even if the airspace closure is widely known, UAE employees stranded abroad should take proactive steps to protect their legal position:

• Notify your employer immediately and in writing (email creates a paper trail)
• State clearly that you are unable to return due to the ongoing airspace restrictions
• Keep copies of all airline cancellation notices, rebooking confirmations, and communications
• Request confirmation of the leave arrangement being applied (annual leave, paid leave, or unpaid leave)
• Do NOT assume verbal assurances are sufficient to get any agreements in writing
• If you can work remotely, confirm this with your employer and begin doing so as soon as possible
• Check your visa status. The ICP has waived overstay fines from 28 February 2026, but you should confirm your specific situation.

What Employers Must Do: Obligations & Best Practices

The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has not issued a specific circular for this crisis as of 11 March 2026. However, general labour law principles, combined with expert guidance, point to these obligations:

• Do NOT treat force majeure absences as misconduct or unauthorised leave
• Assess each case individually with good faith. Consult HR or legal counsel before taking adverse action
• Explore all alternatives before considering unpaid leave: remote working, annual leave reallocation, flexible scheduling
• Communicate clearly with affected staff about what type of leave is being applied for.
• For employees on assignment abroad, activate duty-of-care protocols: document staff whereabouts, assist with hotel extensions, and liaise with immigration advisors to prevent overstay complications
• Review employment contracts for any force majeure or operational disruption clauses
• Do NOT issue termination notices for absences directly caused by the airspace closure.

Remote Work in the UAE: Is It Legal While Abroad?

One of the most common questions from stranded employees is whether working remotely from another country is permitted under UAE law. The answer is nuanced:

• UAE labour law does not prohibit employees from temporarily working remotely from abroad, provided it is agreed with the employer
• UAE employment contracts are typically governed by UAE law, regardless of where work is physically performed on a temporary basis
• Tax implications may arise depending on the country from which the employee is working. This is an area where employees should seek advice specific to their nationality and the country they are in
• The UAE does not currently have a formal ‘remote work visa’ framework for outbound workers, so this is typically handled as a contractual/HR matter between employer and employee
• Employers allowing remote work from abroad should document this formally to avoid any ambiguity about leave status.

Where to Seek Help: Key UAE Resources

The Bottom Line

The UAE’s regional airspace crisis has created a genuinely unprecedented situation for thousands of employees and their employers. The law does not have a perfect answer for every scenario, but its general principles are clear. Absences caused by circumstances genuinely outside an employee’s control should not be treated as misconduct. Salary should continue where remote work is feasible, and both parties have a mutual obligation to act in good faith.

If you are one of the UAE employees stranded abroad, communicate with your employer immediately, document everything, and explore remote working options.

Images: Wow Emirates Archive

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