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Take our HR Maturity Assessment — discover where your HR function stands and get a personalised improvement roadmap. Takes under 3 minutes.
Get Your Free HR AssessmentNo spam. Instant results. By Element MEA.
Most visitors aren't ready for a sales call on the first read. So we don't force one. Pick the option that fits your moment.
A 12-question diagnostic that benchmarks your HR function across 6 dimensions. Free, instant, lands in your inbox as a 4-page report with prioritised actions.
Start the assessment9 deep case studies, 5 in-depth guides, and 25+ articles — covering the engagements, frameworks, and patterns behind our practice. No gates, no email walls.
Browse the resourcesThe first conversation is 30 minutes, with a partner — not a sales rep. You'll leave with at least one practical takeaway, regardless of whether you engage us.
Book a callHR Outsourcing Dubai · Mid-Market
Senior-led practice. WPS-compliant payroll. MoHRE filings. Performance, engagement, compliance. All from one fixed-fee retainer. No platform tools dressed up as services — just embedded HR people who know UAE law cold.
Book a free 30-min call →When outsourcing makes sense
An in-house HR Manager is stretched across payroll, recruitment, compliance, and grievances at the same time. Outsourcing buys you a senior team for less than a senior salary.
Headcount doubling, multiple jurisdictions, no time to build a function from scratch. We become the function while you scale, and hand it back when you're ready.
Post-merger, post-acquisition, post-restructure. We bring stability while permanent leadership is recruited — no missed payroll, no compliance slip, no exits unmanaged.
What's included
Most outsourcing firms cover one of these three layers. We cover all three, with senior accountability, so nothing falls through the gap between strategy and execution.
The element MEA difference
Your account is run by partners with 15+ years in UAE HR — not by analysts learning on your time. Decisions get made on the call.
One monthly fee, scoped quarterly, transparent. We don't bill by the hour, by employee count, or by ticket volume.
UAE plus India operations under one engagement. Common across our client base — and rare among local outsourcing firms.
Contract to first payroll: 10 working days. We've done it 250+ times across UAE mid-market companies.
Pricing & engagement
No per-employee surcharges. No platform fees. No hidden invoices. The fee covers payroll, MoHRE, performance, engagement, policy, and day-to-day support — full stop.
| Engagement | Headcount | From |
|---|---|---|
| Embedded HR Director For founder-led teams that need senior HR strategy without a hire. | 10–49 | AED 7,500 /month |
| Outsourced HR Function Full HR ops + strategy. Replaces an in-house HR Manager. | 50–149 | AED 15,000 /month |
| Full-Stack HR Practice Embedded team across HR ops, performance, comp, and L&D. | 150–500+ | Bespoke |
All retainers include 90-day exit option. No multi-year lock-ins.
Common questions
For Dubai mid-market companies (50–500 employees), HR outsourcing typically costs AED 7,500–25,000 per month depending on headcount, jurisdictions, and scope. element MEA charges a fixed monthly retainer with no per-employee surcharges or hidden fees.
WPS-compliant payroll, MoHRE filings, end-of-service gratuity tracking, EOSB savings scheme administration, statutory leave management, employee letters, performance management cycles, engagement diagnostics, policy authoring, and day-to-day HR support — all under one fixed retainer.
From signed contract to first payroll: 10 working days. element MEA has run this implementation 250+ times across UAE mid-market companies. We've published a step-by-step playbook for clients to track every milestone.
No. Outsourcing means we run the function under your direction. You set the strategy, approve hires, sign off on policy. We execute, advise, and prevent compliance gaps. Most clients gain more control because the function is finally being run properly.
Yes. element MEA is a registered WPS agent and submits monthly Salary Information Files (SIF) to MoHRE on behalf of clients. Our payroll engine has run 250,000+ payslips with zero late-payment penalties since inception.
Yes. We track Nafis quotas, source UAE National candidates, manage role design for compliance, and handle MoHRE Emiratisation reporting for companies with 20+ skilled employees. Read our Emiratisation guide.
Yes. element MEA operates across DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA, DMCC, Dubai South, and all other major UAE free zones, in addition to mainland. See our Free Zone HR Guide.
Most of our clients keep their HR Manager and we sit alongside them as the senior layer. The HR Manager handles tactical, we handle strategic and operational complexity. Some clients restructure; we help with that transition compassionately.
Recruitment agencies place candidates and disappear. element MEA runs the entire HR function — recruitment is one part. We're a consulting practice with embedded delivery, not a placement service. See how we run recruitment.
The first 30-minute call with a partner is free, with no commitment. We then propose a scoped 90-day engagement. If we're not a fit at 90 days, we exit cleanly with full handover documentation.
First conversation is 30 minutes, with a partner — not a sales rep. You'll leave with at least one practical takeaway, regardless of whether you engage us.
Book a free call →HR Consultancy Dubai · Mid-Market
A consulting practice, not a placement firm. 250+ engagements across the UAE. Six disciplines under one roof. Partner-led delivery, defensible frameworks, deliverables you can put in front of a board.
Book a free 30-min call →Six disciplines, one practice
Most HR consultancies pick one or two disciplines. We cover all six because mid-market problems rarely sit in one box — a comp issue is also a performance issue, a turnover problem is also a culture problem.
Span of control, role architecture, reporting lines, restructuring. Clear org charts that match your strategy, not your history.
Market benchmarking (Mercer, Korn Ferry, Aon), salary band design, variable pay structures, pay equity, total rewards modelling.
Goals, OKRs, calibration, 360s, performance cycles. Frameworks that drive accountability, not paperwork.
Engagement diagnostics (eNPS, Glint, custom), action planning, manager enablement, recognition systems.
9-box assessment, talent reviews, succession planning, leadership development, high-potential identification.
Policy authoring, FDL 33/2021 compliance, WPS, Emiratisation, free zone variations, DIFC/ADGM specifics.
How we engage
Fixed scope, fixed fee, fixed timeline. Comp benchmarking, performance framework design, HR audit, org redesign. 4–16 weeks.
From AED 25,000
Ongoing advisory across all six disciplines. Quarterly scoping, monthly check-ins, partner accountability. Replaces a Head of HR.
From AED 15,000 / month
Senior HR strategy embedded part-time inside your business. Sits with the leadership team. Owns the people agenda.
From AED 7,500 / month
Industries we know cold
Multi-generational, multi-business. Governance, succession, professionalising the HR function.
Blue-collar workforce, accommodation, WPS, MoHRE compliance, shift planning, attrition.
Global HR policy localisation, regional reporting, country-level compliance.
Equity comp, founder-led culture, scaling from 30 to 300, multi-jurisdiction hiring.
Service-charge structures, multi-nationality teams, shift rosters, attrition.
DHA/HAAD, KHDA compliance, clinical and faculty hiring, accreditation-aligned HR ops.
Common questions
An HR consultant in Dubai advises on strategic people decisions: organisation design, compensation structures, performance management, engagement, succession planning, and HR compliance under UAE Labour Law (FDL 33/2021). element MEA covers all six disciplines under one engagement.
Project-based HR consulting in Dubai typically ranges AED 25,000–75,000 for a defined engagement (e.g., comp benchmarking, org redesign), and AED 15,000–40,000 monthly for retained advisory. element MEA offers fixed-scope project pricing and quarterly retainers.
HR consulting advises on strategy and frameworks — you keep execution in-house. HR outsourcing means we run the function operationally. Many element MEA clients combine both. See HR outsourcing.
Our practice is built for mid-market (50–500 employees) where the HR function genuinely needs senior thinking. We do work with smaller founder-led teams via the Embedded HR Director engagement starting AED 7,500/month.
Yes. We benchmark against UAE market data (Mercer, Korn Ferry, Aon), design salary bands, model variable pay structures, and run pay equity audits. Output is a defensible compensation framework you can implement.
A focused project (e.g., comp benchmarking, performance framework design, HR audit) typically runs 4–8 weeks. Larger transformations (org redesign, full HR operating model) run 8–16 weeks. Retainers are open-ended with quarterly scoping.
Yes. element MEA operates across mainland, DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA, DMCC and all major UAE free zones. See our Free Zone HR Guide.
Family holdings, manufacturers, MNC country operations, technology/SaaS scale-ups, hospitality, healthcare, professional services, and retail. We've done 250+ engagements across these sectors.
Book a free 30-minute call with a partner. We'll diagnose your situation and propose a scoped engagement — fixed-fee, defined deliverables, no multi-year lock-in.
Tell us where the friction is. We'll tell you what we'd do about it. You'll leave with at least one practical takeaway, regardless of whether you engage us.
Book a free call →Payroll Services Dubai · Mid-Market
250,000+ payslips processed. Zero late-payment penalties. SIF filed monthly to MoHRE. Gratuity, EOSB savings scheme, leave, and statutory reporting under one fixed fee — not per employee, not per transaction.
Book a free 30-min call →What's included
Pricing
Most payroll providers charge AED 50–150 per employee per month — a 250-person team pays AED 18,000–38,000 just for payroll. element MEA is a flat fee, regardless of headcount, and includes full HR operations alongside payroll.
| Engagement | Headcount | From |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll + Embedded HR Founder-led team. Payroll plus advisory. | 10–49 | AED 7,500 /month flat |
| Payroll + Outsourced HR Mid-market. Payroll plus full HR ops. | 50–149 | AED 15,000 /month flat |
| Full-Stack Payroll Multi-jurisdiction, multi-entity, complex pay structures. | 150–500+ | Bespoke |
10-day implementation
Employee master data, contracts, bank details, leave balances, gratuity accruals, latest payroll register.
We process the current month in parallel with your existing system. Reconcile differences. Sign off accuracy.
First WPS-compliant SIF filed. Branded payslips delivered. Employee comms sent. You're done.
Common questions
Payroll services in Dubai cover monthly salary processing, WPS-compliant SIF submission to MoHRE, gratuity calculation under FDL 33/2021, end-of-service savings scheme administration, leave tracking, payslip generation, and statutory reporting.
Payroll services in Dubai typically cost AED 50–150 per employee per month for outsourced processing. element MEA charges a fixed monthly fee covering payroll plus full HR ops, starting at AED 7,500/month for teams under 50.
WPS (Wage Protection System) is a UAE Central Bank and MoHRE programme requiring all employers to pay salaries through approved banking channels and submit a monthly SIF (Salary Information File). Non-compliance triggers fines from AED 5,000 and possible labour file suspension. Read our WPS Compliance Guide.
Yes. element MEA is a registered WPS agent and submits monthly SIF files to MoHRE on behalf of clients. We've processed 250,000+ payslips with zero late-payment penalties since inception.
From signed contract to first payroll: 10 working days. We collect employee master data, contracts, bank details, and existing leave/gratuity balances, then run a parallel test before going live.
Cabinet Resolution 96 of 2023 introduced an opt-in alternative to traditional gratuity in the UAE. Employers contribute monthly into approved savings funds rather than accruing gratuity on the balance sheet. element MEA handles enrolment, monthly contributions, and reconciliation.
Yes. We track gratuity accrual monthly under FDL 33/2021 (21 days per year for first 5 years, 30 days thereafter, capped at 24 months' basic), calculate final entitlements at exit, and generate full and final settlement statements within 14 days as required by law. Try our free gratuity calculator.
Yes. element MEA covers payroll across mainland, DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA, DMCC, Dubai South and all major UAE free zones. DIFC and ADGM have separate employment regulations which we handle natively. See our Free Zone HR Guide.
MoHRE imposes fines from AED 5,000 per occurrence and can suspend the company's labour file, blocking new visa issuance. Late salaries beyond 15 days of due date trigger automatic violation. element MEA's process prevents this with a multi-checkpoint reconciliation.
Yes. element MEA runs payroll across UAE, India, and partner jurisdictions across the Gulf-India corridor under one engagement. Reporting consolidates across geographies.
10-day implementation. Fixed fee. WPS-compliant. SIF filed every month. Your finance team gets clean reports. Your employees get accurate, on-time pay. You get your weeks back.
Book a free call →Recruitment Agency Dubai · Mid-Market
A recruitment practice, not a placement service. 38-day average time-to-hire across 2025. Executive search, mid-level, volume, embedded TA — all under one roof, partner-led, with a 90-day replacement guarantee.
Brief us on your hire →Four ways we engage
Pay on placement. IC and middle management. 15-20% of base, 90-day replacement guarantee.
Director-level and above. Three milestones. Discreet, partner-led, 6-month guarantee. AED 35-75K typical.
5+ identical roles. Assessment-day model. 14-21 days. AED 5-12K per placement.
Senior recruiter inside your business 2-5 days/week. Best for 4+ hires/quarter. AED 15-25K/month flat.
Methodology
Pricing
| Engagement | Best for | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Contingent | IC & middle management | 15-20% of base |
| Retained | Director and above | AED 35-75K |
| Volume | 5+ identical roles | AED 5-12K /placement |
| Embedded TA | 4+ hires/quarter | AED 15-25K /month flat |
All placements: 90-day replacement guarantee. Retained: 6-month guarantee.
Common questions
Dubai recruitment agencies charge 15-25% of first-year base salary on contingency, or AED 25,000-75,000 retained per search. Volume hiring runs AED 5,000-15,000 per placement. element MEA offers fixed-fee embedded TA models with no per-hire surcharges.
Recruitment places candidates. Talent acquisition is a strategic function. element MEA runs TA as a function. Read our 2026 TA guide.
35-50 days for mid-market commercial/ops. 60-90 days for senior or niche. 14-21 days for volume. element MEA's 2025 average was 38 days.
Yes. Retained executive search for Director-level and above across UAE, India, and the Gulf-India corridor. AED 35-75K typical, paid in three milestones.
Yes. UAE National sourcing against Nafis quotas, role design for compliance, MoHRE Emiratisation reporting. 60+ Emirati hires placed in 2024-25. See Emiratisation services.
Yes. 5+ identical roles via structured assessment-day model. 14-21 days end-to-end. AED 5-12K per placement, scaling down with volume.
A senior recruiter inside your business 2-5 days/week, sourcing, screening, running your hiring. Best when hiring 4+ roles/quarter. AED 15-25K/month flat. Break-even vs agencies at ~3 hires/month.
Yes. 90-day replacement on contingent. 6-month on retained.
First conversation is 30 minutes, with a partner. You'll leave with a clear sense of cost, timeline, and the candidates we'd target.
Book a free call →Case Studies · 250+ engagements
21 anonymised engagements across UAE mid-market companies. Six in detail, fifteen as snapshots. Client names withheld at our discretion. Outcomes are taken directly from internal records.
Flagship engagements
Each case below took 6–18 months to deliver. Sector and headcount are real. Client names are not.
Founder-led group with 320 staff across construction, real estate, and trading. No HR function. Patriarch retiring; second-generation CEO needed governance, succession, and a hire-able first-Head-of-HR within 9 months. Annual attrition 28%, no comp structure.
Embedded HR Director engagement, 12 months. Built job architecture (4 levels, 14 grades), benchmarked comp against Mercer, designed performance cycle, ran first calibration, drafted 4 core policies, recruited Head of HR with structured succession plan.
Series-B fintech post-funding; founders wanted to scale 3x in 12 months but were missing TA function, comp framework, and engagement signal. India entity needed parallel build. ESOP structure was ad-hoc.
Embedded TA + retainer; 14 months. Built workforce plan, JD templates, sourcing playbook, scorecards. Ran 92 placements. Designed engineering levels (IC1–IC6, M1–M3) with comp bands across UAE + India. Implemented quarterly engagement diagnostic.
480-person manufacturer flagged for WPS compliance review. 3 prior late SIF submissions, AED 28K accrued fines. Internal HR team of 2, payroll outsourced to a different vendor with no MoHRE liaison. CEO wanted full takeover ahead of audit in 8 weeks.
Outsourced HR Function engagement. 14-day takeover, parallel-run two cycles, identified historical errors and proactively disclosed to MoHRE. Built monthly reconciliation checkpoint. Implemented EOSB savings scheme migration. Trained internal team for handover.
220 staff across 5 F&B properties. 47% annual attrition (industry avg 35%). Service-charge structure inconsistent across properties. Multi-nationality team (16 nationalities), high frontline turnover hitting NPS scores.
8-month consulting + retainer. Diagnostic survey, manager training programme, recognition system relaunch, standardised service-charge structure, exit-interview programme, frontline-leader development. Roles re-banded; promotion path made visible.
DHA-licensed multi-clinic group, 175 staff. Emiratisation quota required 4 UAE National hires by year-end. CEO had attempted 9 months prior with zero placements. Brand was unknown to UAE Nationals; non-clinical role design unsuitable.
Recruitment retainer. Re-designed 6 non-clinical roles for UAE National success criteria, built career-progression artefacts, sourced via Nafis network + university partnerships, ran assessment day. 4 placements in 4.5 months, with 90-day integration support.
95-person law/advisory firm. 3 senior associates resigned in 4 months citing unclear partner track. No documented progression criteria. Comp benchmarks unclear vs. competitors. Two prior consultants had failed to deliver.
9-week project. Built level definitions Associate → Senior Associate → Director → Partner with measurable progression criteria. Benchmarked comp at each level vs. 4 named DIFC competitors. Designed transparent calibration process; coached managers through first cycle.
15 micro wins
Quick projects, audits, single-role searches. Each is a small piece of work — with a real metric attached.
HR Audit Dubai · 10-day diagnostic
65 control points across six dimensions. Fixed-fee from AED 35,000. Structured methodology used on 80+ UAE engagements. Outputs: a 30-page report, a prioritised action register, and a board-ready presentation.
Brief us on your audit →What we audit
FDL 33/2021 employment law, WPS, MoHRE filings, Emiratisation, free zone variations, contract architecture.
SIF accuracy, gratuity accrual, EOSB savings scheme, statutory letters, leave balances, control checkpoints.
Handbook completeness, policy currency, signature & acknowledgement audit, dispute resolution architecture.
PM cycle design, calibration discipline, manager capability, comp linkage, performance improvement process.
Workforce plan currency, sourcing channels, attrition pattern, engagement signal, succession depth.
Team structure, roles vs. ratios, technology stack, vendor management, governance forums.
Methodology
Common questions
A structured diagnostic of an HR function across compliance, operations, talent, and culture. element MEA's audit reviews 65 control points across six dimensions, delivered in 10 working days.
Fixed-fee from AED 35,000 for mid-market (50-250 employees). Larger or multi-jurisdiction audits scale up. The deliverable is a board-ready 30-page report with prioritised actions.
Before a transaction (M&A, fundraise), after a leadership change, ahead of a MoHRE inspection, or when scaling past 50 employees. Most clients run an audit every 18-24 months.
A 30-page diagnostic report, a prioritised action register, a board-ready 1-page summary, and a 90-minute readout call. Action items are scored on impact and effort, time-boxed.
10 working days. Fixed fee. Board-ready output. Run it before a transaction, before scaling, or just to know where you stand.
Book a free call →Performance Management Dubai · Mid-Market
Goal-setting frameworks, calibration discipline, 360-degree feedback, performance improvement plans, comp linkage. Designed for UAE mid-market in 4 weeks. Implemented across 80+ engagements.
Book a free call →What we design
OKRs, MBOs, or hybrid. Cascaded from strategy. Quarterly check-ins, annual review. Tested across hierarchical and flat organisations.
3-point or 5-point rating scales, defined behaviours per level. Calibration sessions facilitated. Forced distribution where appropriate.
Manager, peer, direct-report inputs. 12-question structured instrument. Anonymous + actionable. Used at senior levels and for high-potentials.
Defensible PIP process under FDL 33/2021. 30/60/90 milestones, manager coaching, exit playbook if needed.
Merit increase matrix, bonus payout structure, promotion criteria. Defensible distribution; finance-aligned budget envelopes.
Workshop series for managers: setting goals, giving feedback, running calibration, having difficult conversations. 4 sessions over 8 weeks.
Engagement
| Engagement | Duration | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Design only Frameworks, templates, manager toolkit. You implement. | 4-6 weeks | AED 35-50K |
| Design + first cycle Design + facilitation through goal-setting and calibration. | 9-12 months | AED 60-100K |
| Embedded Quarterly retainer. Permanent capability transfer. | Ongoing | AED 12K /month |
Common questions
Performance management is the structured process of setting goals, measuring delivery, calibrating ratings, giving feedback, and linking outcomes to compensation and development. element MEA designs and implements PM cycles for UAE mid-market companies.
OKRs work well for fast-moving, knowledge-work teams (tech, scale-ups). Traditional cascaded goals work better for hierarchical or operations-heavy organisations. element MEA recommends a hybrid for most UAE mid-market companies.
Design: 4-6 weeks. First full cycle (goals to calibration): 9-12 months. element MEA delivers design in 4 weeks via a structured method tested on 80+ engagements.
Project-based design typically AED 35,000-65,000. Retained advisory through a full cycle: AED 60,000-150,000. Embedded ongoing: AED 12K/month.
First conversation is 30 minutes, with a partner. We'll diagnose your current PM process and propose a scoped engagement.
Book a free call →Fractional CHRO Dubai · Mid-Market
For UAE mid-market companies (100-500 employees) that need senior HR leadership without the full-time cost. 1-3 days a week. Partner-led. From AED 25,000/month. Used by founders, second-generation CEOs, and pre-transaction businesses.
Book a free call →When it makes sense
An HR Manager handles ops well but the people agenda — culture, succession, comp strategy — needs senior thinking. Full-time CHRO is overkill.
Departing leader needs to be replaced; recruitment will take 6-9 months. We bridge with continuity and prevent the function from drifting.
Fundraise, M&A, succession, exit. Senior HR is needed for diligence, integration, and transaction-period workforce decisions.
What the role delivers
Engagement & pricing
| Cadence | Best for | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day / week | 100-200 employees, advisory + governance | AED 25K /month |
| 2 days / week | 200-350 employees, embedded leadership | AED 38K /month |
| 3 days / week | 350-500 employees, transaction or transformation | AED 55K /month |
Compared to full-time CHRO at AED 75-130K + LTI per month. Most engagements run 9-18 months.
Common questions
A senior HR leader (Chief People Officer-level) who works inside your business 1-3 days a week instead of full-time. Best for mid-market companies (100-500 employees) that need senior HR strategy without the full-time cost.
AED 25,000-55,000 per month for 1-3 days a week. Compare to a full-time CHRO at AED 75,000-130,000 + LTI. element MEA's average engagement is AED 35,000/month.
When headcount is 100-500 (full-time CHRO is overkill), when you're bridging between Heads of HR, or when you're pre-transaction and need senior HR for diligence and integration.
A partner from element MEA — not an analyst. Each Fractional CHRO has 15+ years of UAE HR leadership experience.
First conversation is 30 minutes, with a partner. We'll diagnose your situation and propose a scoped Fractional CHRO engagement.
Book a free call →
