New to the UAE? A PRO's Checklist for Arranging Staff Accommodation

Build Well · 5 August 2026

Arranging staff accommodation is one of the first jobs that lands on a new PRO's desk in the UAE, and one of the easiest to get wrong if you have never done it before. The approvals, the contract inclusions, and the site visit each have their own traps. This checklist takes you through all three, in the order you should tackle them.

What approvals should the accommodation have?

Start with the paperwork before you look at a single room. Worker accommodation in the UAE sits under a framework of federal and local rules, and the most useful single signal for a buyer is MOHRE approval — confirmation that a camp meets the standards set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Ask any operator you shortlist to confirm their approval status in writing, and treat hesitation as an answer in itself.

Local authorities also set standards covering space, hygiene, and safety; in Dubai, the Municipality plays this role. A professional operator will be comfortable telling you which authorities inspect their buildings and when the last inspection took place. If the person showing you around cannot answer those two questions, keep looking.

One note of caution: accommodation regulations are updated from time to time, so confirm current requirements with the relevant authority rather than relying on any single article — this one included.

What should the quoted rate actually include?

Two quotes that look similar on the first page can end up far apart once utilities are added. Before you compare numbers at all, ask each operator for a written list of inclusions and exclusions, then check these items line by line:

• DEWA (water and electricity). Is it included in the rate, capped at a monthly allowance, or billed separately? Summer air-conditioning loads make this the item most likely to surprise a first-time buyer.
• Air conditioning. Confirm it is provided and covered, not treated as a tenant-supplied extra.
• Sewerage and waste. Both should be the operator's responsibility, with a clear removal arrangement in place.
• Housekeeping. Establish what is cleaned, and how often, for the shared areas.
• Security. Ask whether the building has round-the-clock, staffed security or only cameras.

An all-inclusive rate is easier to budget and removes the risk of a utilities bill nobody planned for. If a quote is noticeably cheaper than the others, the difference is usually hiding in this list.

What should you check on the site visit?

Never sign from photographs. Visit the building, ideally in the evening when residents are back from shift, and work through the following:

• Security: a staffed post operating 24 hours, with CCTV covering entrances and common areas.
• Kitchens: properly equipped, with a working gas supply and visible cleaning routines.
• Dining areas: separate from sleeping quarters, with enough space for shift-time peaks.
• Laundry: working washing machines (coin-operated is common) and a dedicated drying area, so wet clothes are not hung in rooms.
• Waste: skip-based removal with a regular collection schedule, not overflowing bins.
• Gender separation: if you employ ladies, ask whether they are housed in a separate building — a separate floor in a gents' building is a much weaker arrangement.
• Room grades: check both standard rooms and supervisor rooms with attached washrooms, if your team includes foremen or supervisors who expect them.

What details should you have ready before asking for quotes?

Operators can only quote accurately when they know what you need. Have these details ready before you make the first call: your headcount, the split between gents and ladies, how many supervisor rooms you need, the location of your worksite, your preferred contract length, and your move-in date. A PRO who sends all six in the first message will usually have comparable quotes within days rather than weeks — and will be taken more seriously by every operator on the list.

The Build Well position

Build Well operates MOHRE-approved workforce accommodation in Jebel Ali and Dubai Investments Park 2, with all-inclusive rates covering DEWA, air conditioning, sewerage, housekeeping, and 24-hour security with CCTV. Gents and ladies are housed in separate buildings, not separate floors, and both standard and supervisor rooms with attached washrooms are available.

FAQ

What does MOHRE approval mean for staff accommodation?

It means the camp has been assessed against the standards set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, covering areas such as space, hygiene, and safety. For a buyer, it is the quickest way to filter out substandard operators. Ask for confirmation of approval status in writing before shortlisting.

What should an all-inclusive accommodation rate cover?

At a minimum: DEWA (water and electricity), air conditioning, sewerage, housekeeping of shared areas, and security. If any of these are billed separately, the headline rate is not the real cost. Always compare quotes using a written list of inclusions and exclusions.

What information does a camp operator need to give a quote?

Your headcount, the gender split, the number of supervisor rooms required, your worksite location, contract length, and move-in date. Providing all of these upfront speeds up quoting and makes the quotes you receive genuinely comparable.