What is Tawjeeh?
Tawjeeh (Arabic for 'guidance' or 'orientation') is a network of MOHRE-affiliated centres in the UAE that deliver labour-awareness sessions and orientations to workers, and provide employment-related services to employers. The centres were established to ensure that new employees, particularly those arriving from abroad for the first time, understand their rights and obligations under UAE labour law before they begin work.
Tawjeeh is closely linked to the MOHRE system and sits alongside the Tasheel channel in the onboarding process for new private-sector employees. While Tasheel handles the transactional paperwork (work permits and contracts), Tawjeeh provides the educational and advisory layer.
What Tawjeeh handles
- Worker orientation sessions: structured briefings covering UAE labour law, employee rights, wage-protection rules, and steps to take if a problem arises
- Guidance on employment contracts, probation periods, notice periods, annual leave, and gratuity entitlements
- Information on the Wage Protection System and how salary disbursement is monitored by MOHRE
- Employer-side labour services that complement the Tasheel channel
The orientation session is designed to give workers a baseline understanding of the system they are entering before any dispute or misunderstanding arises.
How the Tawjeeh orientation process works
- After a work permit is approved through MOHRE and Tasheel, certain categories of new workers may be required to attend a Tawjeeh orientation session before or shortly after starting employment. Confirm with your employer or the MOHRE portal whether the requirement applies to your visa category.
- The employer or recruitment agency typically arranges the session. Workers attend in person at an authorised Tawjeeh centre.
- The session covers the key terms of the employment contract, statutory entitlements such as paid annual leave, end-of-service gratuity, and sick leave provisions, and explains how to use MOHRE complaint channels if an issue arises with the employer.
- Attendance and completion are recorded and may be linked to the worker's file in the MOHRE system, forming part of the overall onboarding compliance record.
What expats use Tawjeeh for
For most newly employed expatriates, Tawjeeh is a mandatory step arranged by the employer in the background of the onboarding process. Its practical value lies in the content delivered: workers who attend learn how to verify their contract on the MOHRE portal, what the Wage Protection System means for their salary, and what concrete steps to take if their employer delays wages or violates their contract.
This knowledge is particularly useful for first-time workers in the UAE who may be unfamiliar with the local labour system. Knowing in advance how to raise a MOHRE complaint removes a barrier if problems arise later.
Domestic workers recruited through Tadbeer centres may have separate orientation requirements managed through the Tadbeer channel. Confirm which orientation pathway applies based on your employment type. Requirements for Tawjeeh attendance, including which worker categories must participate and whether sessions are conducted in person or online, are set by MOHRE and may be updated. Always confirm current obligations through the official MOHRE portal or your employer's HR department.