Guides
How to check if a UAE company and job offer are real
6 min read · Updated 12 November 2026
Before you resign, travel or send your documents, take ten minutes to check that the company exists and that the offer is genuine. These five checks catch most fake offers, and a real employer will not mind you making them.
1. Check the company's trade licence
Every business in the UAE needs a trade licence, but there is no single register for all of them. Which one to search depends on who issued the licence:
- Dubai mainland companies: the business licence search of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
- Free zone companies: the register or company directory of that free zone (for example DMCC, IFZA or RAKEZ).
- Across the emirates: the National Economic Register of the Ministry of Economy, which brings together the emirates' economic departments. Free zone companies may be missing from it.
Search by the exact company name or licence number. If you cannot find the company anywhere, or the details do not match what the recruiter told you, treat the offer as unconfirmed.
2. Check the offer with MOHRE
Private-sector hiring in the UAE goes through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). If your offer letter has a MOHRE transaction number, look it up on MOHRE's online enquiry service. If you are outside the UAE, the UAE embassy in your country can also help you check an offer.
3. Contact the company through its own channels
- Find the company's official website yourself instead of using links from the message you received.
- Call the landline on that website and ask HR to confirm the vacancy and the recruiter's name.
- Check that emails come from the company's own domain, not a free address such as Gmail or Outlook.
- Be careful if the only contact is a WhatsApp number or a social media account.
4. Check the recruiter or agency
Only agencies licensed by MOHRE may recruit or place workers in the UAE. If an agency is involved, check it on MOHRE's website or with MOHRE directly. A genuine recruiter can tell you which company they are hiring for and will not mind you calling that company.
5. Follow the money
In the UAE the employer pays the costs of hiring you, including the work permit and the residence visa. Any request for money from you, for a visa, processing, training, a medical test or a deposit, is the clearest sign of a scam. Our guide on recruitment fees in the UAE explains what the employer pays for.
If something does not add up
- Stop and do not send money or documents.
- Keep the messages and contact details.
- Report the scam to the police (in Dubai through the Dubai Police eCrime platform) and call your bank if you paid or shared bank details.
- If the job is on Fursae, use "Report listing" on the job page.
Quick answers
- How do I check if a company in Dubai is real?
- Search its name or licence number on the business licence search of Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (mainland companies) or on the register of the free zone that issued its licence. Then call the company on the number from its own website and ask HR to confirm the vacancy.
- How can I verify a UAE job offer letter?
- If the offer has a MOHRE transaction number, look it up on MOHRE's online enquiry service. Also confirm the vacancy with the company using contact details from its official website, not the ones in the message you received.
- Is a job offer from a Gmail address fake?
- Not always, but it is a warning sign. Established companies usually email from their own domain. Ask for the offer from a company address and confirm it with the company directly.
- Are jobs on Fursae verified?
- Only employers whose business the Fursae team has checked can publish jobs on Fursae, and no employer or agency on Fursae may ask you for money. You can report any listing from its page.
Sources
General guidance, not legal advice. Rules change: check official sources for decisions that matter.