Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has issued Decree No. (5) of 2026 on the Central Grievances Committee for Dubai Government employees.
The Decree establishes the Grievance Adjudication Committee to review appeals submitted to the Central Grievances Committee. The Committee comprises a Chairman, Deputy Chair, and members with legal and human resources expertise, appointed by the Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.
It must include representatives from the General Secretariat of The Executive Council, the Supreme Legislative Committee, and the Dubai Government HR Department.
Dubai Government employees get new rights to challenge administrative decisions under 2026 decree
Under the Decree, employees may submit grievances within 14 working days from receiving written notice of a decision, or after the Committee’s decision deadline has passed. Late submissions are permitted only where a valid excuse is provided.
Grounds for submitting a grievance include lack of jurisdiction, violation or misapplication of the law, failure to follow procedures, abuse of authority, decisions against the public interest, excessive discipline, or actions taken without a valid reason.
The Decree also sets out the grounds on which a grievance may be rejected. These include cases where the matter falls outside the Grievance Adjudication Committee’s jurisdiction, where a submission is made after the deadline, where the matter has already been decided by the Committee or the courts, or where the employee does not hold the right or a legitimate interest to file.
All decisions of the Grievance Adjudication Committee are final and binding on the relevant government entity and cannot be challenged through administrative channels. Employees, however, retain the right to appeal to the courts.
The Decree states that the Committee “aims to provide employees with the opportunity to appeal final administrative decisions and actions that affect their legal and employment status, roles, and work conditions, ensuring fairness, impartiality, job satisfaction, and compliance with public service laws and professional conduct standards.”
The Decree places strict confidentiality obligations on the Chairman, members, staff, and any experts of the Committee. These obligations apply to all information, documents, and decisions, and remain in force even after an individual leaves the Committee.
Any person holding documents, papers, or evidence related to a grievance that may not be disclosed to others is required to return them to the Central Grievances Committee for archiving or handling in accordance with its approved procedures. All related materials must be preserved and archived in accordance with applicable regulations to prevent unauthorised access. The Chairman of the Committee will issue internal decisions on the disposal of grievance-related documents.
The Decree annuls Executive Council Resolution No. (41) of 2015 on the Central Grievances Committee for Employees of the Government of Dubai.
Any provision in other legislation that conflicts with this Decree is also repealed. Regulations and decisions issued under Resolution No. (41) of 2015 remain in place to the extent they do not conflict with this Decree, until replaced by new measures.
The Decree is effective from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
