Excellence Center Tadbeer Al Quoz

Under current MOHRE and GDRFA Dubai rules, a single domestic worker sponsorship requires a verified monthly income of at least AED 15,000, or AED 10,000 if the employer also provides accommodation valued accordingly. To sponsor two or more workers, the threshold rises to AED 25,000 per month. The income is evidenced by a salary certificate from the sponsor's employer, a labour contract showing the salary, or - for self-employed sponsors - audited financial statements and a trade licence in the sponsor's name. Joint sponsorship between spouses is not permitted; the file is opened in one name only.

Excellence Center Al Quoz recruits from the major source-country corridors that have active bilateral labour agreements with the UAE: the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, India and Madagascar. Filipino domestic workers carry the highest package cost because the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration sets minimum salary, insurance and orientation requirements. Indonesia lifted its moratorium on UAE recruitment under the 2023 SIAPkerja framework, and Ethiopian recruitment resumed in 2023 after agreement on a minimum-wage protocol. Some source countries impose minimum salaries: Filipino maids must receive at least USD 400, Ethiopian USD 250, and Ugandan USD 200 as a recommended floor.

A complete two-year package at Al Quoz Tadbeer typically runs AED 18,000-22,000 for a Filipino maid, AED 14,000-17,000 for a Sri Lankan or Indonesian worker, and AED 11,000-14,000 for an Ethiopian, Ugandan or Kenyan worker. The figure includes the recruitment fee, return air ticket, MOHRE entry permit and visa fees, medical fitness test, Emirates ID, two-year health insurance, MOHRE unified contract and the standard Tadbeer service charge. Monthly salary, paid through WPS-DW, is on top: typically AED 1,200-2,500 depending on nationality, experience and live-in versus live-out arrangement.

The 2-year package is materially cheaper per month and represents the default for Al Quoz files. The 1-year package at AED 12,000-15,000 carries the same upfront government cost - entry permit, Emirates ID, medical, insurance - but spreads that fixed cost over half the contract length, so the effective monthly cost is roughly 60-70 per cent higher than the 2-year option. Sponsors choose the 1-year package only when household circumstances are genuinely temporary, for example a known overseas posting. Critically, an extension at year-end is charged at the full one-year package rate again, not pro-rata; the centre does not offer a discounted extension. If there is any prospect of keeping the worker beyond 12 months, the 2-year contract is the better economic choice.

Full-time live-in is the classic Tadbeer model: the worker transfers to the sponsor's MOHRE file, sleeps in the household, and is the sponsor's direct employee under the unified contract. The upfront package is AED 11,000-22,000 depending on nationality, monthly salary runs AED 1,200-2,500 through WPS-DW. Part-time, by contrast, keeps the worker on the Tadbeer centre's sponsorship and the sponsor pays the centre an hourly rate of AED 35-55 (four-hour minimum) or a monthly retainer of AED 3,000-4,500. Part-time suits sponsors whose salary does not meet the AED 15,000 single-worker threshold, dual-income households who do not need overnight care, and anyone wanting to test commitment before opening a full file. Full-time is cheaper if you need more than about 70 hours per month.

Strict, and verified against MOHRE records before the file is opened. The AED 25,000 rule applies to sponsorship of two or more domestic workers in a single household. A single-worker file requires AED 15,000, or AED 10,000 if the sponsor also provides accommodation reflected in the household budget. The threshold is gross salary as evidenced by a salary certificate stamped by the employer, a labour contract showing the salary, or audited financial statements for self-employed sponsors. Bonus, commission and rental income are not counted. Husband and wife salaries cannot be combined; the file is opened under one name only. UAE nationals may qualify under separate Family Cohesion rules with lower thresholds confirmed at consultation.

Filipino candidate availability fluctuates with Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) deployment caps and the Al Quoz centre's quarterly recruitment cycles. In a normal cycle the wait from sponsor shortlist confirmation to candidate arrival is 14-21 working days; in tighter cycles (typically post-Ramadan and December) the wait stretches to 28-35 working days as POEA orientation slots fill. The centre maintains a rolling pool of 30-50 pre-screened Filipino profiles ready for sponsor video interviews. If the Al Quoz pool does not match preferences (age range, English level, childcare experience, prior GCC service) sibling Tadbeers at Ras Al Khor, Al Barsha and Jumeirah hold parallel pools - ask the consultant to circulate your brief across centres. Filipino workers receive a USD 400 minimum salary under POEA rules.

Driver visas through Tadbeer follow the standard domestic worker pipeline plus three driver-specific items. Bring the sponsor's original Emirates ID, salary certificate at AED 25,000 (drivers count as second household worker if a maid is already on file), attested Ejari and a recent DEWA bill. From the driver candidate: original passport with six months validity, two coloured photographs on white background, source-country police clearance, and a valid driving licence from the country of origin showing at least three years' experience. The driver must hold a UAE driving licence within 30 days of residence-visa stamping; the centre coordinates with a Sharia Driving Institute or Belhasa for licence conversion or full instruction. Medical fitness, Emirates ID, MOHRE orientation and WPS-DW enrolment follow the standard sequence. Full package AED 14,000-19,000 depending on nationality.

If the worker fails the DHA-approved medical fitness test - typically for tuberculosis, hepatitis B/C, HIV, pregnancy without prior disclosure, or syphilis - the residence visa cannot be stamped and the entry permit lapses. The worker is housed at the Al Quoz centre's accommodation while the file is closed. The sponsor receives a partial refund covering the visa, Emirates ID and insurance components but not the recruitment fee or air ticket. Under the centre's replacement guarantee, the first three months allow a no-fee recruitment of a replacement candidate; sponsor pays only the new visa, medical and ticket. The original worker is repatriated at the centre's cost where the source-country corridor agreement requires it (Philippines, Indonesia), or at the sponsor's cost otherwise. Pregnancy results in mandatory repatriation under federal labour rules.

Ending the MOHRE unified contract before its natural end requires the sponsor to settle three components: any outstanding wages owed through WPS-DW, end-of-service gratuity calculated at 14 days' wages per year worked (capped at six months' total pay), and either a return ticket to the worker's home country or a six-month grace period during which the worker may transfer to a new sponsor. The Tadbeer service fee for cancellation runs AED 200-500. Termination within the six-month MOHRE probation is without penalty - settle wages for days worked only. Termination for cause requires evidence; without it the worker has the right to transfer under the 2025 mobility rules and the sponsor may be ordered to pay remaining contract value. Disputed terminations are heard at the centre's mediation room before cancellation is processed.

The Wages Protection System for Domestic Workers (WPS-DW) is the federal mandate, in force since 2024, that requires every domestic worker's monthly salary to be paid into a registered electronic account linked to her Emirates ID. The account can be a bank account, an exchange-house wallet (Al Ansari, LuLu Exchange, etc.) or a prepaid card. At file opening Excellence Center Al Quoz opens the worker's WPS-DW wallet on her behalf. The sponsor then transfers each monthly salary through a participating bank, exchange or the MOHRE WPS portal; the salary must be paid within 10 days of the contracted pay date. Late or missed payments are flagged automatically and may suspend the sponsor's future MOHRE transactions, including residence visa renewals on family members. Cash payment to the worker, in any amount, is a breach and voids the file.

Under the 2025 mobility rules under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 a domestic worker may transfer to a new licensed sponsor without exiting the country. With a no-objection certificate from the current sponsor the transfer is administrative: file the application at the new sponsor's Tadbeer centre (or back at Al Quoz if both sponsors prefer), pay AED 2,500-3,500 in transfer fees plus government charges, and the new MOHRE contract is signed within 7-14 working days. Without an NOC the worker may still transfer in defined breach cases - unpaid wages of more than two months, abuse, sponsor death, or violation of the daily rest requirement - subject to MOHRE approval. At natural contract end no NOC is required. The worker's Emirates ID remains valid throughout; only the sponsor name on the residence file changes.

During Ramadan, Excellence Center Al Quoz operates 09:00-15:30 Monday to Thursday and 09:00-12:00 on Friday, with extended evening consultation slots from 21:30 to 23:00 by appointment for sponsors arriving for late-night airport collections. The centre observes Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, UAE National Day and New Year's Day; on the eve of each holiday it closes at 14:00. The MOHRE hotline (600 590 000) remains open for emergency complaint registration. Always reconfirm hours the day before by phoning +971 4 347 4000.