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Labeeb Reference · checklist · official channels checked 25 September 2026

Is this Gulf job offer real? A checklist for verifying employers, offers and recruiters in the UAE and Saudi Arabia

A job offer from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh or Jeddah can arrive by email, LinkedIn or WhatsApp at any hour, and pressure to say yes quickly is part of how fraudulent offers work. This page sets out what a genuine offer looks like in each country, which official channels let you check it yourself, the patterns that recur in fake offers, and what to do if you have already paid. Every verification step points to a government or free-zone page that was opened while writing it; where a system could not be opened from outside the country, the step names the official page rather than describing its co

A job offer from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh or Jeddah can arrive by email, LinkedIn or WhatsApp at any hour, and pressure to say yes quickly is part of how fraudulent offers work. This page sets out what a genuine offer looks like in each country, which official channels let you check it yourself, the patterns that recur in fake offers, and what to do if you have already paid. Every verification step points to a government or free-zone page that was opened while writing it; where a system could not be opened from outside the country, the step names the official page rather than describing its contents.

Two facts anchor everything else. In the UAE, the government’s job-search guidance states that job seekers are not required to pay money to any recruitment agency because the onus to pay such fees lies with the employers, and that if the hiring company or the agency asks you for money to process the visa or medical test, it is not a genuine company. In Saudi Arabia, Article 40 of the Labor Law states that an employer shall bear the fees pertaining to the recruitment of non-Saudi workers and the fees for issuing and renewing the residence permit (Iqama) and work permit, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) describes the Qiwa platform as the main digital platform for all services of the Saudi labor system and the unified interface for transactions between the parties to the system. An offer that sits outside these rules and systems has something to explain.

How to use this checklist

Work through the twelve checks in order. The first six can be done from your phone before you reply; checks seven to twelve need a document a real employer will provide without hesitation. If any check fails, stop before sending a passport scan, a deposit or a signature. You do not need to prove an offer is fake, only to confirm it is real, and that burden sits with the party asking for your labour.

The 12-point verification checklist

# Check Why it matters Where to verify (UAE) Where to verify (KSA)
1 The sender’s email domain matches the company’s registered website The UAE government’s job-search guidance tells applicants to check the email ID from which they receive job offers: it should reflect the domain name of the organisation. Free webmail addresses are the most common tell u.ae, Searching for a job (https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/jobs/Find-a-job/searching-for-a-job) Same principle; the Ministry of Commerce site carries the notice that links to official Saudi websites end with gov.sa (https://mc.gov.sa/en/eservices/Pages/ServiceDetails.aspx?sID=91)
2 No money has been requested for visa, medical, processing, insurance or “security” UAE guidance: if the hiring company or the agency asks you for money to process the visa or medical test, it is not a genuine company; job seekers pay nothing to agencies. Saudi Labor Law Article 40: the employer bears recruitment, Iqama and work-permit fees u.ae, Searching for a job (URL above); MOHRE call centre 600590000 HRSD, What are the fees and costs borne by the employer? (https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/en/knowledge-centre/articles/64434-0); HRSD customer service 19911
3 The employer exists as a licensed entity A real employer holds a commercial licence that can be looked up by name; a fake one usually borrows a real brand name with no matching licence National Economic Register via u.ae (https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/business/important-digital-services/national-economic-register), which links to the register at https://www.growth.gov.ae/G2C/; u.ae, Verify business licences (https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/business/important-digital-services/inquire-about-licences-names-and-activities); DMCC Business Directory (https://dmcc.ae/business-directory); DIFC Public Register (https://www.difc.com/business/public-register) Ministry of Commerce, Query about commercial registration data (https://mc.gov.sa/en/eservices/Pages/ServiceDetails.aspx?sID=91)
4 The recruiter, if any, is a licensed agency The UAE guidance states that MOHRE grants licences of recruitment agencies to UAE citizens only, and directs job seekers to MOHRE to check for licensed companies or raise a complaint; unlicensed intermediaries have no standing u.ae, Searching for a job (URL above); the current licensing position is published by MOHRE at https://www.mohre.gov.ae/ The current list of HRSD services, including those relating to recruitment offices, is published at https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/en/ministry-services/services
5 You have had at least one interview with a named person at the company Offers issued without any interview are a recurring fraud pattern; real hiring has a decision-maker you can name Company careers page or switchboard, cross-checked against the licence from check 3 Same, cross-checked against the commercial register from check 3
6 Contact is not WhatsApp-only or personal-number-only Legitimate hiring leaves a paper trail on company systems; a recruiter who refuses email or a company phone line is avoiding that trail Company domain email; MOHRE 600590000 for doubts Company domain email; HRSD 19911 for doubts
7 The UAE offer letter can be found on MOHRE’s Offer Inquiry service MOHRE’s Employment Offers and Contracts service lets a worker look up a job offer or work permit by transaction number, or by personal details with passport number and nationality; a real offer has a transaction number MOHRE Offer Inquiry (https://receipts.mohre.gov.ae/OfferInquiry/Index?langid=2) Not applicable
8 The Saudi contract appears in Qiwa under your name HRSD’s Contract Management service: after the establishment creates the employment contract, the employee can approve, reject or request to amend it through their account on the Qiwa Afrad platform, and once both parties agree the contract is considered certified and approved by the ministry. A contract that exists only as a PDF is unverified Not applicable HRSD, Contract Management (https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/en/ministry-services/services/%D8%A5%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D9%88%D8%AF); your Qiwa individual account (https://qiwa.sa/)
9 The entry permit or visa is real and in your name UAE visa validity is checked with ICP, or with GDRFA for Dubai; a Saudi work visa is issued on an employer’s visa authorisation and can be queried on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa platform ICP visa validity check via u.ae (https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Apply-and-track-visa/track-visa-application-and-validity); GDRFA Dubai Visa Status (https://smart.gdrfad.gov.ae/Public_Th/StatusInquiry_New.aspx) MOFA visa platform, enquiry about submitted applications (https://visa.mofa.gov.sa/)
10 The employer, not you, is applying for the visa u.ae states that the employer must apply for the standard work visa; HRSD’s Visa Issuance Service is provided to enterprises through Qiwa u.ae, Work visa (https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Types-of-visas/residence-visa-for-working-in-the-uae) HRSD, Visa Issuance Service (https://www.hrsd.gov.sa/en/ministry-services/services/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%87%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9)
11 Salary, allowances and probation in the offer match the contract you are asked to sign A mismatch between offer and contract is where many genuine-looking offers fail; the MOHRE offer is what the work permit is built on, and the Qiwa contract is the version the ministry certifies MOHRE Offer Inquiry (URL above), View my contract Your Qiwa individual account, where HRSD says the employee approves, rejects or requests changes to the contract (Contract Management page above)
12 You know the complaint and fraud-report channels before you travel Knowing where to go removes the isolation fraudsters rely on MOHRE 600590000; Labour Claims and Advisory Centre 80084; cybercrime channels listed on u.ae (eCrimes on the MoI UAE app, Dubai Police eCrime, Abu Dhabi Police Aman, My Safe Society app, 999) HRSD 19911; HRSD beneficiary page for complaints and reports; my.gov.sa Digital Complaint (linked from HRSD); Ministry of Interior reporting channels as published at https://www.moi.gov.sa/

Common patterns in fraudulent Gulf job offers

These are patterns, not named schemes. If two or more appear together, the probability that the offer is fake rises sharply.

  • A fee is requested for the visa, medical test, “processing”, insurance, a work permit or a refundable deposit, contrary to the UAE guidance and Saudi Article 40 rule quoted above.
  • An offer letter arrives without any interview, or after one brief chat on a messaging app, often at a salary far above the market for the role.
  • The sender uses a free email service or a domain one letter off the real company’s, and the signature block has no company landline.
  • All contact is by WhatsApp or a personal mobile, and requests to speak with someone on a company email or office line are deflected.
  • A full passport scan, bank details or a photograph is demanded before any offer document exists or before you have spoken to a named person.
  • A cheque or transfer arrives “by mistake” or as an “advance” and you are asked to refund part of it; the original payment later bounces.
  • The recruiter claims to be a government-approved or “authorised” agent but cannot give a licence number that can be checked with MOHRE or HRSD.
  • Urgency is manufactured: the visa quota closes tomorrow, the flight must be booked today, the deposit must clear tonight.
  • The offer says you can start on a visit or tourist visa; u.ae states that you cannot work while on a visit or tourist visa, and that working without first obtaining the proper visa status is illegal.

What a genuine UAE offer sequence looks like

A private-sector hire runs through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). The employer generates a job offer on MOHRE’s system, which is why the Offer Inquiry service lists “Job offer” and “Work Permit with job offer” as searchable items. The worker signs that offer; the employer applies for the work permit; the entry permit follows. u.ae directs visa-validity checks to ICP, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, or to GDRFA if the visa was issued in Dubai. The employer, not the worker, applies for the standard work visa, which u.ae describes as valid for two years and renewable subject to the visa-issuing authorities’ terms.

So a real UAE offer has a MOHRE transaction number. Ask for it, then look it up yourself on the Offer Inquiry service with your passport number and nationality. If the recruiter cannot supply one, the offer has not entered the government system, whatever the letterhead says. The MOHRE call centre on 600590000 and the Labour Claims and Advisory Centre on 80084 exist for exactly this doubt.

Free-zone employers follow the same logic with their own registries. DMCC publishes a business directory of all companies registered in DMCC, and DIFC maintains a public register of entities. If a company says it is in a free zone, its name should appear in that zone’s register; if the zone does not publish one, ask for the licence and check the number with the zone directly.

What a genuine Saudi offer sequence looks like

In Saudi Arabia the employer holds and uses the visa authorisation. HRSD describes its Visa Issuance Service as provided by Qiwa to facilitate enterprises’ business with immediate visa issuance, available to enterprises that meet nationalisation and compliance conditions. The visa is then issued through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa platform, which offers an enquiry service for submitted applications. The establishment then creates the employment contract in Qiwa: HRSD states that the employee can approve, reject or request to amend it through their account on the Qiwa Afrad platform, and that once both parties agree the contract is considered certified and approved by the ministry.

So a real Saudi offer is followed by a visa record you can query on the MOFA platform and a contract that appears in your own Qiwa account, not a stand-alone PDF. If a recruiter says Qiwa “does not apply” to your role, that is a question for HRSD on 19911, not for the recruiter.

If you have already paid

Speed matters more than embarrassment; fraudsters count on victims staying quiet.

  • UAE: report through the cybercrime channels u.ae lists: the eCrimes platform on the MoI UAE app, the Dubai Police eCrime website, the Abu Dhabi Police Aman service, the federal Public Prosecution’s My Safe Society app, any police station, or 999. If an employment offer or agency was involved, also call MOHRE on 600590000 so the ministry can act against an unlicensed intermediary.
  • Saudi Arabia: HRSD’s beneficiary page accepts complaints and reports, and the ministry links to the my.gov.sa Digital Complaint service. For financial fraud, the Ministry of Interior’s current reporting channels are published at https://www.moi.gov.sa/.
  • Your bank: contact it the same day and ask whether a recall or dispute is possible; treat chargeback availability as a question for your bank, not a promise.
  • Your passport: if you sent a scan, note the date and recipient; that record supports any later police report.

Keep every message, receipt and document. Screenshots of the WhatsApp thread, the offer letter and the payment confirmation are what the reporting channels will ask for.

Questions to ask the recruiter

  • What is the MOHRE transaction number for this offer (UAE), or the establishment’s commercial registration number and the visa reference (KSA)?
  • Which licensed entity is the employer, and what is its licence or commercial registration number?
  • Who interviewed me, what is their role, and can I reach them on a company email address?
  • Which authority will issue my entry permit or visa, and who is applying for it?
  • What costs, if any, am I expected to pay at any stage, and under which law? (In the UAE the answer is none for recruitment, visa or medical; in Saudi Arabia, Article 40 puts recruitment, Iqama and work-permit fees on the employer.)
  • Will the contract I sign match the offer letter word for word, and where can I see the recorded version?

Related reading on this site: what to check in a pay package, the GCC career calendar for hiring seasons that fraudsters imitate, the Gulf pre-arrival checker for documents you will need once an offer is confirmed, moving to work in the Gulf, and leaving a job in the UAE or Saudi Arabia if you are resigning to accept a new role. More checkers are listed under tools.

Frequently asked questions

Is it ever normal to pay recruitment or visa fees in the UAE or Saudi Arabia?

No in both countries. The UAE government’s job-search page states that job seekers are not required to pay money to any recruitment agency because the onus to pay such fees lies with the employers; a request to pay is itself the evidence you need. Article 40 of the Saudi Labor Law, as published by HRSD, states that an employer shall bear the fees pertaining to the recruitment of non-Saudi workers, the fees for issuing and renewing the residence permit (Iqama) and work permit, and the fines resulting from their delay, as well as the fees for change of profession, exit and re-entry visas, and the return ticket at the end of the relationship. The one cost the law places on the worker is the return journey if the worker is unfit for work or leaves without a legitimate reason.

How do I look up a UAE offer letter myself?

Use MOHRE’s Offer Inquiry service. It lists Job offer, Work Permit with job offer, Renew Work Permit and Work Permit without job offer, and lets you search by transaction number or by your own passport number and nationality. Ask the employer for the transaction number; a genuine offer has one.

How do I check whether my UAE entry permit is real?

u.ae directs visa-validity checks to ICP, and to GDRFA’s Visa Status service for Dubai. u.ae gives ICP’s number as 600522222 and GDRFA’s as 800 5111 inside the UAE or +9714-313-9999 from abroad.

Can I start work in the UAE on a visit visa while the work visa is processed?

No. u.ae states that you cannot work while on a visit or tourist visa, and that working without first obtaining the proper visa status is illegal and can lead to penalties and legal liability. A recruiter who suggests otherwise is asking you to break the law.

How do I check a Saudi employer exists?

Use the Ministry of Commerce’s “Query about commercial registration data” e-service, which returns the commercial register details of an establishment. The ministry also offers a document verification service. Both are on mc.gov.sa, which notes that links to official Saudi websites end with gov.sa.

Who do I call in Saudi Arabia if the recruiter’s story does not add up?

HRSD’s customer service line is 19911, open Sunday to Thursday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The ministry’s beneficiary page also accepts complaints and reports online, and HRSD links to the my.gov.sa Digital Complaint service.

The recruiter says the company is in a free zone, so MOHRE rules do not apply. Is that true?

Free zones have their own registries, and DMCC and DIFC both publish registers where the company should appear. u.ae also states that free zone employees can approach the Labour office for complaints, and that the Labour office will transfer the complaint to the Labour court for review. The fee rule does not disappear because the employer is in a free zone.

I already sent my passport scan. What now?

Send nothing further. Record the date and recipient, keep the messages, and report through the channels above if any payment or identity misuse follows. A scan alone does not usually enable travel, but it is a component of identity fraud, so a police report record is worth having.

Sources

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