Anti-Discrimination UAE Laws

As per the UAE laws, discrimination is prohibited and penalized by a number of specific laws.

The main UAE law on anti-discrimination is the Federal Decree Law No. 2 of 2015, on Combating Discrimination and Hatred, which came into effect in August 2015. 

The law is rather comprehensive, covering blasphemy, hate speech, and all forms of discrimination. 

The penalties for violating this UAE law can be severe and include:

1. Prison of not less than 5 years, and/or
2. Monetary penalty of not less than AED 500,000.

Additionally, discrimination is also expressly forbidden and penalized in the employment context, pursuant to the UAE Labor Law, No. 33 of 2021, along with its Executive Regulations. Which include expressed provisions on Equality and Non-Discrimination. 

For example, under Article 4 of the UAE Labour Law, it is forbidden to have discrimination in the workplace on the basis of :

1. Ethnicity,
2. Race,
3. Sex,
4. Religion,
5. National origin,
6. Social status or
7. Any disability.

It is also forbidden to discriminate amongst people in the same job.

Furthermore, the UAE Labour Law provides expressed prohibition against any form of discrimination against working women, including on the basis of pay-scale.  

Finally, there are multiple UAE laws regarding non-discrimination of people of determination. One such law is the UAE Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 on the Rights of People of Determination. As well as a separate Dubai Law No. 3 of 2022 on the Rights of People with Disabilities in Dubai.