Habitat Tadbeer Centre Ras Al Khor

Habitat handles candidates from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Bangladesh, India and Madagascar. Each corridor has source-country minimums - the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration sets a USD 400 minimum salary, Ethiopia approximately USD 250, and Uganda approximately USD 200. Indonesia resumed deployment under the 2023 SIAPkerja framework after lifting its earlier moratorium. The centre conducts video interviews before the worker is dispatched and the sponsor reviews three to five shortlisted candidates per role.

From file opening at Habitat to the worker's Emirates ID delivery, the timeline is typically 18-25 working days. Step-by-step: candidate selection (1-3 days), entry permit issuance (5-7 days), source-country exit clearance and ticketing (5-10 days, longest for Filipino workers due to OWWA orientation requirements), arrival and medical fitness (3-5 days), Emirates ID biometrics (1-2 days), residence-visa stamping (3-5 days). The worker stays in the centre's accommodation during the medical and ID stages before joining the household.

A standard two-year package includes the recruitment fee, source-country processing, return air ticket, MOHRE entry permit, residence visa, Emirates ID, two-year DHA-mandated health insurance, medical fitness test, MOHRE unified standard contract, worker orientation session, WPS-DW registration, and the Tadbeer service charge. It does not include monthly salary, which is paid separately by the sponsor through WPS-DW, or end-of-service gratuity at contract end. Read the replacement clause carefully: most packages cover one replacement at no additional recruitment fee within the first three to six months.

The two-year package is the default and substantially cheaper per month. The one-year package (AED 12,500-15,500) carries the same fixed government costs - entry permit, Emirates ID, medical fitness, two-year insurance - compressed into half the contract length, so the effective monthly cost is roughly 60-70 per cent higher. Extension at the end of a one-year contract is charged at the full one-year package rate, not pro-rata, so renewing one-year contracts yearly costs significantly more than a single two-year deal. Choose one-year only when household circumstances are genuinely temporary - a known overseas posting, an elderly relative on a fixed-term visit. For any longer horizon, two-year is the better choice.

Full-time live-in transfers the worker to the sponsor's MOHRE file - sponsor pays AED 11,000-23,000 upfront depending on nationality, plus AED 1,200-2,500 monthly salary through WPS-DW; the worker sleeps in the household and is the sponsor's direct employee. Part-time keeps the worker under Habitat's Tadbeer sponsorship and the sponsor pays the centre either an hourly rate (AED 35-50, four-hour minimum) or a monthly retainer (typically AED 3,000-4,500). Part-time suits dual-income households without overnight care needs, sponsors below the AED 15,000 single-worker income threshold, and anyone who wants to test a worker before committing to a full file. Full-time becomes cheaper above roughly 70 hours per month.

The AED 25,000 rule applies when sponsoring two or more domestic workers in one household. A single-worker file requires AED 15,000, or AED 10,000 with accommodation included in the household budget. The figure is gross salary evidenced by a salary certificate from the sponsor's employer, a labour contract or audited financials for self-employed sponsors. Bonus, commission, rental and capital income do not count. Husband and wife salaries cannot be combined - the file is opened under one name only. Habitat verifies the salary against MOHRE records before the typing stage; an unverifiable claim blocks the file. UAE nationals may qualify under separate Family Cohesion thresholds at the consultation.

Habitat keeps a rolling pool of pre-screened Filipino profiles ready for sponsor video interview, typically 20-40 active candidates at any time. In a normal recruitment cycle the gap from shortlist confirmation to worker arrival in Dubai is 14-21 working days. Tighter cycles - post-Ramadan and December - stretch the wait to 28-35 days as Philippine Overseas Employment Administration orientation slots fill. Filipino recruitment carries the highest cost (USD 400 minimum salary under POEA rules, pre-departure orientation and OWWA insurance) and the longest source-country processing time. If Habitat's pool does not match preferences, sibling Tadbeers at Al Quoz, Al Barsha and Jumeirah hold parallel inventories - ask the consultant to circulate the brief across centres.

Driver visas follow the standard domestic worker pipeline plus three driver-specific items. Sponsor brings the original Emirates ID, salary certificate at AED 25,000 if a maid is already on file (drivers count as second household worker), attested Ejari and recent DEWA bill. Driver candidate brings original passport with six months validity, two coloured photos on white background, source-country police clearance and a valid driving licence from country of origin showing at least three years' experience. Within 30 days of residence-visa stamping the driver must hold a UAE driving licence; Habitat coordinates with a Sharia Driving Institute branch or Belhasa for 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 DHA medical fitness test returns a fail - typically tuberculosis, hepatitis B or C, HIV, syphilis, or undisclosed pregnancy - the residence visa cannot be stamped and the entry permit lapses. The worker is housed at Habitat's accommodation while the file is closed and repatriation is arranged. The sponsor receives a partial refund on visa, Emirates ID and insurance but not the recruitment fee or air ticket. Under the package replacement guarantee a no-fee replacement is sourced within the first three months; sponsor pays only the new visa, medical and ticket. Repatriation costs are borne by Habitat where the source-country corridor agreement requires it (Philippines, Indonesia), or by the sponsor otherwise. Pregnancy triggers mandatory repatriation under federal labour rules.

Early termination of the MOHRE unified contract requires settling three components: any wages outstanding through WPS-DW, end-of-service gratuity at 14 days' wages per year worked (capped at six months' total pay), and either a return ticket or a six-month grace period for the worker to find a new sponsor. The Tadbeer cancellation service fee is AED 200-500. Termination within the six-month probation is no-penalty - pay only the days worked. Termination for cause requires documented evidence; without it the worker is entitled to transfer under the 2025 mobility rules and the sponsor may be ordered to pay remaining contract value. Disputed terminations are heard at Habitat's mediation room before cancellation is processed.

WPS-DW is the federal mandate, in force since 2024, requiring every domestic worker's monthly salary to be paid into an electronic account linked to her Emirates ID - a bank account, exchange-house wallet or prepaid card. At file opening Habitat opens the WPS-DW wallet on the worker's behalf. The sponsor then transfers each monthly salary through a participating bank, exchange or the MOHRE WPS portal 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. The rule applies identically to live-in, live-out and part-time arrangements.

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

During Ramadan the centre operates 09:00-15:30 from Monday to Thursday and 09:00-12:00 on Friday. Saturday and Sunday remain at 09:00-15:00. The MOHRE orientation hall runs evening sessions at 21:00 and 22:30 for newly arrived workers. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha closures follow the UAE Cabinet calendar; the eve of each holiday the centre closes at 14:00. Confirm hours the day before by phoning +971 4 294 4141.