Payroll Services Dubai · WPS Compliance · UAE EOSB
Payroll services in Dubai — managed, WPS-compliant, audit-ready
Element MEA runs end-to-end payroll for SMEs and mid-market businesses across the UAE. Salaries processed against MOHRE WPS standards, end-of-service gratuity calculated against FDL 33/2021, leave and overtime tracked, payslips issued, and statutory reporting filed on time, every month. Used by 200+ businesses since 2018 across construction, hospitality, technology, healthcare, retail and professional services.
If your payroll is currently run in spreadsheets, by a finance team member who is also doing five other things, or by a payroll vendor that does not know UAE labour law, this page covers what proper outsourced payroll looks like and what to expect when you outsource to Element MEA.
What is included in Element MEA's payroll service
Monthly payroll cycle
Salary processing, payslip generation, bank transfer file (WPS or non-WPS), variance reports, exception handling. Cycle close in 3 working days from receipt of inputs.
WPS compliance
MOHRE WPS file generation, bank submission, settlement confirmation, exception tracking. Late-payment penalty protection built into the process.
End-of-service gratuity
Real-time EOSB liability calculation against FDL 33/2021. Full and final settlement on exits, including notice period, accrued leave and ticket entitlements.
Leave & attendance
Annual leave balance tracking, sick leave management, public holiday accrual, overtime calculation. Integrates with your existing time-tracking system or runs standalone.
Income tax & statutory
UAE does not levy personal income tax, but we handle social security for GCC nationals, pension contributions where applicable, and ad-hoc statutory withholdings.
Reporting & analytics
Monthly payroll dashboards covering cost-per-FTE, overtime trends, leave liability, EOSB liability, headcount movements, comp-band creep.
UAE Wage Protection System (WPS) — what every employer must know
The Wage Protection System is mandatory for most UAE private-sector employers. Salaries must be transferred via the Central Bank's SWIFT network and an authorised bank or exchange house, in AED, by the agreed date. Element MEA handles the full WPS workflow:
- SIF file generation — the standard MOHRE input format, validated before bank submission.
- Bank coordination — we work with your existing bank (ADCB, ENBD, Mashreq, FAB, RAKBANK and others) or recommend one if you are setting up.
- Settlement tracking — confirmation of every salary transfer, exception reports on bounced payments.
- Late payment risk management — salaries paid within 15 days of due date to avoid MOHRE fines (AED 5,000 per worker per delay).
- WPS audit trail — complete documentary record kept for 5 years, audit-ready on demand.
End-of-service gratuity (EOSB) calculation
UAE end-of-service gratuity follows FDL 33/2021. Element MEA calculates EOSB liability monthly against the standard formula: 21 days of basic wage per year for first 5 years of service, 30 days per year thereafter. We track:
- Accrued EOSB liability on your balance sheet, updated each payroll cycle.
- Notice period entitlements — 30, 60 or 90 days per contract terms.
- Annual leave accrual at exit — encashed at basic wage.
- Repatriation flight allowance where contractual.
- Pro-rata calculations for partial-year service.
For a free EOSB calculation on any of your employees, use our UAE Gratuity Calculator.
Integrations with your accounting and HR stack
Element MEA's payroll runs alongside whatever you already use:
- Accounting: Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online, Xero, SAP Business One, Tally, Sage 50.
- HRIS: Bayzat, ZenHR, Mercans, Darwinbox, BambooHR — we feed payroll data back into your HRIS or replace it entirely if you do not have one.
- Banking: WPS submission via direct bank portal integration with major UAE banks.
- Time tracking: Hubstaff, Bayzat Attendance, biometric systems, or paper timesheets — we ingest whatever you have.
Pricing — Element MEA payroll service tiers
- Starter (up to 15 employees): AED 1,500/month. Monthly cycle, WPS, payslips, EOSB tracking.
- Growth (16–50 employees): AED 3,500–6,500/month. Adds leave management, reporting, integrations.
- Scale (51–200 employees): AED 7,500–12,000/month. Adds dedicated payroll manager, multi-entity support, advanced analytics.
- Enterprise (200+ employees): Custom pricing. Multi-country payroll, complex variable pay, equity programmes.
Pricing includes all software, WPS fees, statutory submissions and 1-business-day SLA on payroll queries. No hidden setup fees.
Why Element MEA for payroll in Dubai
- UAE-specific expertise. Every payroll specialist is trained on UAE labour law, MOHRE workflows and the nuances of WPS submission.
- 200+ active clients. Processing AED 100M+ in payroll annually across construction, hospitality, technology, healthcare and professional services.
- Audit-ready by default. All payroll documentation kept 5 years, accessible on demand for MOHRE audits, due diligence or insurance claims.
- Practitioner support. Direct access to senior payroll specialists — not a ticketing system.
- SLA-backed. Cycle close in 3 working days from inputs. Salary queries answered same-day.
FAQs — Payroll services in Dubai
How quickly can payroll be transitioned to Element MEA?
Typically 2–4 weeks. Onboarding covers employee data migration, historical EOSB reconstruction, bank WPS setup, and parallel-run on the first cycle.
Do you handle visa/work permit processing alongside payroll?
No — visa and PRO services are run by specialist providers. Element MEA payroll integrates with your existing PRO/visa provider so changes flow into payroll automatically.
What happens if there is a payroll error?
Same-day correction. We carry professional indemnity insurance covering payroll processing errors and absorb MOHRE late-payment penalties caused by our error.
Can Element MEA run payroll for multiple UAE entities?
Yes. Multi-entity payroll is standard at the Scale tier and above — common across family groups, holding companies and franchise operations.
Do you handle expat employees and GCC nationals differently?
Yes. Expat employees follow the standard EOSB framework. GCC nationals (UAE, Saudi, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar) require GPSSA pension contributions, which we calculate, withhold and remit each cycle.
Get a payroll quote
30-minute scoping call. Tell us your headcount, current pain points, and what tools you already use. We will come back with a fixed monthly quote within 24 hours.
Request a payroll quote →
