Experience certificate in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt: what the law says

Not legal advice. This article summarises the labour laws of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and official announcements about them, as checked in November 2026. It covers private-sector jobs. Laws and online services change, and your contract may give you more than the law's minimum. For a decision about your own case, ask your country's labour ministry or a lawyer.

Short answer: in all three countries, the labour law (sources below) obliges your employer to give you a certificate of your service when your job ends. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, you get it free of charge, on request, when the contract ends, and it may not contain anything that harms your reputation or your chances of another job. In Egypt, you can also ask for a free certificate of your experience while you are still employed. Saudi private-sector workers can get a Service Certificate electronically, through their individual Qiwa account, once a contract ends. Ask for yours before your last day, and check that its dates and job title match your CV.

This guide is for private-sector employees and for anyone applying to a job that asks for proof of past experience. It doesn't cover government jobs.

Why this comes up now

On 3 November 2026, Gulf News published an explainer on UAE experience certificates. It notes that UAE law requires employers to issue the certificate on request when a job ends, but it "does not impose a general requirement on jobseekers to submit one with every job application". Some employers may still ask for one "during recruitment or background verification" (Gulf News).

So the certificate is not an entry ticket to every application. It is proof you may be asked for later. In our view, the time to ask for it is before you leave, while you still know whom to ask.

What the law says, country by country

UAE

Article 13 of the Labour Law lists the employer's obligations. Clause 11 says the employer must give the worker, at his request, upon the expiry of the employment contract, an experience certificate free of charge. It must show the date the worker joined, the date the work ends, the total period of service, the job title or kind of work, the last wage, and the reason the contract ended, "provided that the certificate shall not include anything that might harm the Worker's reputation or reduce his employment opportunities" (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 13). The same article says the employer must not withhold the worker's official documents.

The law applies to the private sector. It doesn't apply to federal and local government employees, the armed forces, police and security, or domestic workers (Article 3). Our guide to applying for jobs in the UAE covers the rest of the process, from the job offer to probation and notice.

Saudi Arabia

Article 64 of the Labor Law, as published by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), says that when the employment contract ends, the employer must give the worker, on request and free of charge, a certificate of service showing the start date, the date the employment relationship ended, the profession and the last wage. "The employer may not include anything in the certificate that may harm the worker's reputation or reduce their future employment opportunities." The employer must also return all certificates and documents the worker deposited with it (HRSD, Labor Law, Article 64).

The Saudi article doesn't list the reason the contract ended. The UAE one does.

Egypt

Article 175 of Labour Law No. 14 of 2025 has two certificates. First, the employer must give you, on request and free of charge, a certificate of your experience and professional competence, during the contract or when it ends. Second, when the job ends, the employer must give you a certificate with your start and end dates, the kind of work you did and the benefits you had. At your request, it can also show your wage and the reason the job ended. The employer must issue it within 15 days of your request. When the job ends, the employer must also return, immediately on request, the papers, certificates or tools you deposited with it, and proof of your clearance (Law No. 14 of 2025, Article 175, in Arabic).

Of the three articles, only Egypt's lets you ask while you are still employed. That helps if you are applying for your next job before you resign. Our guide to applying for jobs in Egypt covers the rest of the law a job seeker needs.

The online versions: Qiwa and MOHRE

Saudi Arabia: Qiwa's Service Certificate. In November 2023, HRSD launched a "Service Certificate" for private-sector workers through the Qiwa platform. HRSD describes it as an official document that can be presented to the relevant authorities to verify a worker's experience, and to other establishments the worker plans to move to. Workers get it electronically, through their individual Qiwa account, when the contractual relationship ends (HRSD). Our guide to applying for jobs in Saudi Arabia explains the rest of Qiwa's role in a job move.

UAE: an employment history certificate in the MOHRE app. Gulf News reports that you can obtain an official digital employment history certificate through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) app, that MOHRE says the digital certificate is valid for one month, and that employers can verify it on MOHRE's inquiry site under "Employee Certificate Verification", using the letter number printed on the document (Gulf News). We couldn't check this service ourselves: MOHRE's sites may only open from inside the UAE. Treat it as a useful extra, not a replacement for the certificate your employer owes you.

Egypt. We found no official online service that issues an experience certificate, so the certificate comes from your employer.

Make it match your CV

In our view, a certificate that contradicts your CV can raise a question you then have to answer. Before you leave, compare the two:

• Dates. The month and year you started and left should match the dates on your CV.
• Job title. If the certificate shows a different title from the one on your CV, decide which one is accurate and make them agree, or be ready to explain the difference.
• Salary. A UAE or Saudi certificate shows your last wage. If you have already answered an "expected salary" or "current salary" question somewhere, make sure your answer is consistent with it. Our guide to expected salary and notice period covers those questions.

For which personal details a Gulf CV should carry, see CV format for Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

If your employer refuses

• UAE: if an employer or worker disputes any right under the Labour Law, they apply to the Ministry, which examines the application and tries to settle it amicably (Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 54).
• Saudi Arabia: HRSD's Friendly Settlement service is the first stage for labour dispute claims between a worker and an employer. Claims are filed electronically, and a case that can't be settled is referred to the labour court (HRSD, Friendly Settlement for Labor Disputes).
• Egypt: without prejudice to the right to go to court, either side can ask, within 10 days from the date the dispute arose, for an amicable settlement by a committee headed by the director of the labour directorate. If it isn't settled, the case goes to the labour court at either side's request (Law No. 14 of 2025, Articles 149 and 150, manshurat.org, in Arabic).

In our view, a written request (an email to HR that names the article) is the best first step in all three countries. It is polite, it costs nothing, and it gives you a dated record if you need to escalate.

Checklist before your last day

1. Ask HR in writing for your experience or service certificate. Name the article: Article 13(11) in the UAE, Article 64 in Saudi Arabia, Article 175 in Egypt.
2. In Egypt, if you are job hunting before you resign, ask now for the certificate of experience and competence. The law lets you.
3. Check the dates, the job title and, where shown, the last wage against your CV.
4. Check that nothing in it could harm your reputation. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the law says it must not.
5. In Saudi Arabia, once the contract ends, also get the Service Certificate electronically through your individual Qiwa account.
6. Ask for back any certificates or documents you deposited with the employer.
7. Keep the certificate with your degree and your ID. If you will use it in another country, ask the new employer early whether it needs attestation.

FAQ

Is an experience certificate mandatory? For your employer, issuing one is: UAE and Saudi law require it on request when the contract ends, and Egyptian law requires it too. For you, it isn't a general requirement for applying. Gulf News notes that UAE law does not require job seekers to submit one with every application, but some employers may ask for one during recruitment or background verification (Gulf News).

Can my employer refuse to give me an experience certificate? Not under the law. In the UAE, a dispute over a right under the Labour Law goes to MOHRE (Article 54). In Saudi Arabia, it starts with HRSD's Friendly Settlement service. In Egypt, without prejudice to your right to go to court, you can ask within 10 days from the date the dispute arose for an amicable settlement by a committee headed by the director of the labour directorate, or go to the labour court (Articles 149 and 150).

What should an experience certificate include? In the UAE: your start and end dates, total period of service, job title or kind of work, last wage and the reason the contract ended. In Saudi Arabia: start and end dates, profession and last wage. In Egypt: start and end dates, the kind of work and your benefits, plus your wage and the reason the job ended if you ask. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, it must not include anything that could harm your reputation or your chances of another job.

How do I get an experience certificate from Qiwa? HRSD's Service Certificate is issued electronically through your individual Qiwa account once your contract has ended (HRSD).

Can I get an experience certificate from MOHRE? Gulf News reports that the MOHRE app issues a digital employment history certificate, valid for one month according to MOHRE. Your employer still owes you its own certificate under Article 13 of the Labour Law.

Is a service certificate the same as an experience certificate? In our view, they do the same job. The UAE law calls it an experience certificate, the Saudi law a certificate of service, and HRSD's Qiwa version is called the Service Certificate. Egypt's law has both: a certificate of experience and competence, and a certificate when the job ends.

Can I get an experience certificate while I'm still working? In Egypt, yes: Article 175 lets you ask during the contract. The UAE and Saudi articles cover the end of the contract.

Where Taqdim fits

It writes a tailored CV for each role from your profile: the jobs you held, the skills you listed. It's designed not to add employers or achievements you didn't provide, so keep the dates and titles in your profile the same as on your certificates. It doesn't issue, check or attest certificates. What it does and doesn't do.

Taqdim is in closed beta. Join the waitlist.

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Related: How to apply for jobs in Saudi Arabia · How to apply for jobs in Egypt · How to apply for jobs in the UAE · Expected salary and notice period: how to answer (UAE, KSA).

Sources

• UAE, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regulating Labour Relations, Articles 3, 13 and 54 (UAE Legislation portal): uaelegislation.gov.ae · Arabic version
• Saudi Arabia, Labor Law, Article 64 (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development): hrsd.gov.sa · Arabic version
• HRSD, "The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development launches the 'Service Certificate' for individuals working in private sector establishments" (15 November 2023): hrsd.gov.sa
• HRSD, Friendly Settlement for Labor Disputes: hrsd.gov.sa
• Egypt, Labour Law No. 14 of 2025, full Arabic text (Manshurat Qanuniya), Articles 149, 150 and 175: manshurat.org
• Gulf News, "UAE jobs: What is an experience certificate and how can you get it?" (3 November 2026): gulfnews.com