Whistleblowing Laws in UAE

Whistleblowing in the UAE is a professional and legal way the employees can report about wrongdoing in their workplace or inside the company. Whistleblowing has gained a lot of attentions and popularity in the all the Emirates of UAE especially for the last few years.

The government of the UAE has introduced laws and legal reforms to protect the whistleblowers, and his rights. UAE government makes sure through legislation that whistleblower has to be protected.

These laws are introduced with several goals. The most important is that to protect the employees who can report independently to company’s issues anonymously without having the fear, and without revealing his identity. Even his identity has to be revealed, but he will be free from losing his job and will be protected legally. Whistleblower can ask HR for assistance, he can also consult a professional advocate to grab his rights under UAE Law.

In our perception, the whistleblower must consult with experienced lawyers in Dubai to understand the laws protecting them and to know the legal procedures. There are some legal procedures to be adopted, while reporting the corruption, and wrong practices in company. Therefore, a legal assistance is good for whistleblower. Let us tell you in details about whistleblowing and how does it work.

Whistleblowing means to report the corruption or fraud or embezzlements, or forgery inside the company. Anything, which is happening inside any business organization, either directly or indirectly. It happens when anyone among the employees of the organization or someone other than an employee inside the organization reports illegal and unethical activities to the authorities. These activities can be as follows:

• Fraud
• Corruption
• Financial Crimes e.g. Bribery, embezzlements
• Safety violations
• Breaking Company Rules
• Sharing Secret and Sensitive Information

A whistleblower is a person who reports such wrongdoing to authorities inside the company. He can also become a witness in future against the person/persons or the relevant entity in courts. He is usually the insider of the company who sees misconduct and wants to stop it.

Every country has its own and few universal laws that protect whistleblowers. UAE has such laws as well. This practice stops illegal and unethical activities all over the UAE, and promotes the concept of honesty, professionalism and dedication in the workplace. Companies cannot survive without the business and workplace ethics. There is not a single law that defines the protection of the whistleblower but there are several laws define these.

Dubai Law No. 4 of 2016, is the first laws in the UAE that protect whistleblowers. This law protects the reporters of financial crimes. These crimes can be of any type, like monetary fraud or theft, money laundering, embezzlement, etc. If the whistleblower reports the crime with good intention, he will not be face legal action. It also refers to one Federal Law UAE No 4 of 2016, governing medical deals, that provides protection to whistleblowers.

Some free zones in the UAE have their own whistleblowing laws that are sometimes considered stronger than onshore rules.

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) created a formal whistleblowing system in 2022. This law states that employees can report suspected wrongdoing with good intentions. They can report internally, within the organization, or externally to the relevant authorities in UAE. These relevant authorities can be:

• Professional Auditors and Experts
• Regulatory Authorities in UAE designated
• Law enforcement Agencies

Whistleblowers can get complete protection under this law. The protections can be from:

The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) on 5 July, 2024, imposed a new rule for Whistleblower Protection. It required companies to maintain an internal reporting system and protect employees. Protected disclosures include reports of suspected legal and financial breaches within the company or to law enforcement agencies.

UAE does not yet have a single national whistleblowing law. Some labour law provisions also provide limited protection for employees.

Under the latest amendments to the UAE Labour Law, employees who make serious and truthful complaints to authorities, such as the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, may be protected from unlawful termination.

Dubai Resolution No. 2 of 2025 extends whistleblower protections in the UAE to public-sector employees under the Financial Audit Authority (FAA).

Dubai Resolution No. 2 of 2025 extends whistleblower protections in the UAE to public-sector employees under the Financial Audit Authority (FAA).

Whistleblowing plays a major role in keeping the workplace attitude fair and transparent for every employee and for the wrongdoers to be held accountable. A whistleblower activities can help the organization to identify the problems within its firms.

Whistleblowing helps in identifying every type of illegal financial activities. Many cases showed that the employees become aware of such misconduct long before regulators or auditors. Their reports can help authorities take action early to stop the crime reaches to an unexpected extent.

When employees report wrongdoing, it helps strengthen corporate governance. It also make the organizations operate honestly.

This has been seen as beneficial in many financial institutions, free zone companies, and government-related entities. In these areas, transparency is essential for public trust and whistleblowing has proved quite helpful.

Strong whistleblowing systems push companies to improve their internal compliance structures. It becomes stronger when it is supported by law. When businesses support safe reporting channels like whistleblowers, they are inspiring transparency in their organizations.

One major issue is that the UAE does not have a single federal law for supporting whistleblowing. There are different rules that apply differently in every sector.

Another obstacle is that protections are not the same for everyone. Some areas, like DIFC and ADGM, have strong whistleblowing rules whiles others do not. Many private-sector companies outside these zones do not offer good protection.

Whistleblowers also face risks under privacy and confidentiality laws where they are bound not to share any company information outside. If they share sensitive or private company information, they could face legal problems.

Cultural and workplace fears also play a role. In some companies, reporting misconduct is seen negatively. Employees in these sectors worry about losing their job and spoiling relationships. They sometimes also face social pressure, due to which they stop speaking up.

In July 2024, the ADGM introduced new UAE whistleblower protection laws. It states that the companies in ADGM should set up proper reporting systems. This law protects whistleblowers saying that they should not be punished for speaking up.

The UAE Labour Law was also updated in 2024. The new changes give more protection to employees who file serious and honest complaints with the authorities. In 2025, Dubai issued Resolution No. 2. This move was made to protect public-sector employees who report financial or administrative wrongdoing in departments audited by the Financial Audit Authority (FAA). The Central Bank of the UAE now provide online platforms for reporting fraud and misconduct.

Many employees dealing with the wrongdoing in the firm are now also seeking guidance from a law firm in Dubai to understand their protection procedure if they highlight the corrupt matters of their firm.

Whistleblowing works best when both employees and employers understand their responsibilities. Here are some helpful guidance for both. If you want to report wrongdoing, first check whether your company is part of a regulated area, DIFC or ADGM. These zones have stronger whistleblowing protections.

Companies in free zones and regulated sectors should set up clear whistleblowing policies and safe reporting systems. Employees should know about their rights and the protections available under UAE laws and regulations.

Employers must investigate complaints quickly and fairly. It should also protect the whistleblower’s identity to build trust and transparency in the workplace. This is all about whistleblowing in the UAE. If anyone need help, professional lawyers in UAE can guide them.

They can explain the rules for both employees and companies to do the right thing. Whistleblowing, when done correctly, supports a safer and more trustworthy work environment.