Salary Increment Letter (UAE): Request and Employer Samples

A salary increment letter records a pay rise: either the employee’s request for one, or the employer’s confirmation of a new salary. UAE law does not require annual increments and does not regulate either letter, but it does fix how salary is set, which parts of it drive the gratuity and overtime, and what has to happen with MOHRE when the salary changes. This page explains those rules and gives two editable samples in Word and PDF: a salary increment request letter and a salary increment letter from the employer. The rules were checked against the Labour Law, its Executive Regulation and the UAE Government Portal on 27 September 2026.

What the law says about pay rises

The Labour Law sets no obligation to raise pay and no annual review. The only mention of periodic raises is as a disciplinary sanction: an employer that runs a periodic raise system may withhold a raise for up to a year as a penalty. Employers may adopt policies more generous than the law, and many run yearly reviews, but those are company rules. There is also no general minimum wage in the Labour Law.

Article 22 requires the wage to be specified in the employment contract. That makes the contract the document that matters when pay goes up: the UAE Government Portal states that a contract clause can only be changed if the worker’s rights are not undermined, both parties agree and MOHRE approves.

Basic salary or allowances: why it matters

The law separates the basic wage from the total wage, which adds allowances and benefits. Which one rises changes what the employee gets later:

An increment letter should therefore show the current and the new basic salary and each allowance, not just the new total.

How to ask for a salary increment

• Ask for a meeting and send the letter before it, so your manager can prepare.
• State your role, how long you have held it and your current salary.
• List two or three measurable results: projects delivered, targets met, responsibilities added since your last review.
• Name a figure or a range, and say it can be discussed.
• Keep it short and factual; the template leaves room for exactly this.

What the employer’s increment letter should include

• The effective date of the new salary.
• The current and new basic salary, allowances and total, in AED unless the contract sets another currency.
• A statement that the employment contract will be updated with MOHRE, and that all other terms stay the same.
• An authorised signature and the employee’s acknowledgement.

All establishments registered with MOHRE pay wages through the Wage Protection System, so payroll will show the new figure from the effective date.

Can a salary be reduced?

The Labour Law has no general article allowing an employer to cut pay. Changing a monthly-paid employee to daily, weekly, piece or hourly pay needs their written agreement, and the contract can only be amended with the worker’s consent and MOHRE’s approval. The Executive Regulation mentions a wage reduction only as a measure during exceptional emergencies declared by Cabinet resolution.

Common mistakes

• Raising only the allowances when the employee expects the gratuity to grow too.
• A letter that promises a rise but never reaches the MOHRE contract.
• No effective date, so payroll and the employee disagree on when the rise starts.
• A verbal promise with nothing in writing.

For proof of income after the rise, see the salary certificate format, and for the monthly breakdown, the salary slip format. Salary levels by role are in the UAE salary guide.