HSE Policy in the UAE (2026): What It Must Include and What Buyers Check
Most UAE prequalification forms, tender questionnaires and site audits ask for a signed health, safety and environment (HSE) policy. This guide sets out the minimum content Abu Dhabi’s occupational safety framework requires, what supplier questionnaires usually check, and the documents that sit behind the policy.
The minimum content of an OSH policy in Abu Dhabi
The Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health System Framework (ADOSH-SF, formerly OSHAD-SF), published by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, sets the minimum for an entity’s OSH policy in Management System Element 9, section 3.1 (version 4.0, July 2024). The policy shall:
- demonstrate safety and health commitments;
- be authorised by top management;
- be appropriate to the nature and scale of the entity’s OSH risks;
- include commitments to prevention of injury and illness, enhancement of employee health and wellbeing, identification and management of OSH risks, legal compliance, setting, monitoring and reviewing OSH targets and objectives, provision of appropriate OSH resources, and continual improvement;
- be communicated to all relevant stakeholders; and
- be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains relevant and appropriate.
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The same section requires the policy to sit inside a wider system: legal compliance procedures, operational procedures, document control, record retention, management of change and management review. Version 4.0 also removed an earlier note that required the OSH policy to be independent of any other policy, so a combined HSE or QHSE policy is possible.
Outside Abu Dhabi, check the rules of your emirate, free zone and sector regulator, and the buyer’s own HSE standard.
What supplier and tender questionnaires usually check
Buyers write their own HSE questionnaires, so always answer the form in front of you. ADNOC, for example, lists HSE and quality management documentation among the items in its supplier registration and prequalification guide. Questionnaires commonly ask for:
- a copy of the signed HSE policy, with the date and the signatory’s role;
- how the policy is communicated to staff and subcontractors;
- the HSE organisation chart and responsibilities;
- risk assessment, incident reporting and emergency response procedures;
- training records and induction arrangements;
- certifications you hold, such as ISO 45001 or ISO 14001, if any;
- safety performance statistics for recent years.
Our supplier registration checklist shows what ADNOC, Emaar, Aldar, DEWA and other UAE and GCC buyers ask for, with official sources. If a buyer asks for your In-Country Value score too, see our ICV certificate guide.
Common reasons an HSE policy is rejected
- Generic text: a template that does not match the company’s actual activities and risks.
- Not signed or not dated, or signed by someone who is not top management.
- Policy without procedures: the questionnaire asks how a commitment is carried out, and there is no procedure behind it.
- Out of date: no evidence of review, or old company names, addresses and activities.
- Language: the buyer or workforce needs Arabic as well as English.
Where Labeeb helps, and where it does not
Labeeb does not certify, audit or inspect. We are not an ISO certification body or a regulator-approved OSH consultant, and we do not assess site conditions. Where your sector requires an approved OSH practitioner or auditor, use one.
Labeeb writes the documents: an HSE policy written for your real activities, the supporting policies, procedures and SOPs (see our SOP format guide), and the written answers in supplier and tender responses, in English, Arabic or both. Your management reviews, approves and signs them.
HSE policy: common questions
Who must sign the HSE policy?
ADOSH-SF requires the OSH policy to be authorised by top management. Buyers usually expect the signature of the CEO, managing director or owner, with a date.
How often should the HSE policy be reviewed?
ADOSH-SF requires periodic review to keep it relevant and appropriate. Many buyers expect a recent signature date, so check the questionnaire for a specific period.
Can we have one combined HSE or QHSE policy?
Version 4.0 of ADOSH-SF removed the earlier note requiring the OSH policy to be independent of other policies. A combined policy is common, but it must still contain every OSH commitment the framework lists.
Do we need ISO 45001 to bid?
It depends on the buyer and the scope. Some require it for higher-risk work; others ask only whether you hold it. Read the prequalification criteria for the specific buyer.
Can Labeeb write the policy in Arabic and English?
Yes. We agree the scope, languages and price with you before any work starts.
Preparing for a prequalification or audit?
Send us the buyer’s HSE questionnaire and your current policy, if you have one. We will tell you what is missing and how we can help, before any commitment.