Are Egyptian Workers Being Laid Off Across the UAE? Egypt Responds

Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pushed back against reports circulating on social media that large numbers of Egyptian workers are being dismissed from their jobs in the United Arab Emirates, according to an official statement. 

The ministry says there is no evidence of a widespread campaign against Egyptian workers in the UAE or elsewhere in the Gulf, describing the cases being shared online as individual incidents rather than part of a broader trend.

Haddad El-Gohary, assistant foreign minister for consular affairs, said that Egyptian officials had been monitoring the reports and checking individual cases with the relevant authorities. 

According to El-Gohary, the UAE is currently reviewing residency permits and entry visas, but this should not be confused with a mass dismissal of Egyptian workers.

What is actually happening?

Some Egyptians have had their residency permits cancelled, El-Gohary acknowledged. But he said most of the cases examined by Egyptian authorities involved violations of UAE residency rules. 

One of those rules requires residents who leave the UAE to return within six months. The requirement applies to residents of all nationalities, not just Egyptians.

Other cases involve people who entered the UAE on tourist visas hoping to find work and later switch to employment-based residency. Some were unable to secure jobs and consequently ran into residency issues, El-Gohary said.

Visas are still being issued

Egyptian companies operating in the UAE continue to obtain visas for their employees as part of their ongoing business activities and investments, the ministry said.

The issue is expected to receive further attention in October, when a joint Egyptian-UAE consular committee is due to meet. The committee will review cases involving Egyptian citizens in the UAE, including both residents and visitors.

For now, Egyptian officials are stressing that while individual residency and visa cases do exist, there is no evidence of a mass dismissal campaign against Egyptian workers in the UAE.