WPS (Wage Protection System)
What is WPS? The UAE's Wage Protection System for paying salaries: employers pay wages through approved channels, using a SIF salary file that lists each payment.
In plain words
In the UAE, employers pay salaries through an approved bank or exchange house, and the payments are reported to the labour ministry in a fixed-format salary file called a SIF. The system exists so that wages are paid on time and can be checked.
Example
A Dubai company pays three staff for October: net salaries of AED 8,000, AED 6,500 and AED 4,200, a total of AED 18,700. The SIF file has one employer line stating that total and three employee lines, each with the person's ID, bank routing code, account, days worked and net, basic and variable pay. The names and numbers are made up. Check the current rules with your PRO (the person who handles your government paperwork) or adviser.
Why it matters
- Deadline. Salaries must be paid on time and through the system.
- Rework. A file with a wrong total or a missing field is rejected by the bank.
- Risk. Late or unrecorded wage payments can lead to penalties from the authority.
How Kinnow handles it
UAE payroll arrives from December 2026 in People. A finance approver signs off the payroll, and Kinnow prepares the SIF file for your bank. It also keeps a running provision for end-of-service gratuity and pension contributions for UAE and GCC nationals. Kinnow prepares the file; a person approves it and you take it to the bank, and Kinnow does not move money. See United Arab Emirates. (The Payroll Engine card below describes India payroll; UAE payroll has its own rules.)
The limits: file layouts differ a little between banks, so we check yours with you before first use. Saudi payroll, including WPS, GOSI and Mudad, is not part of the first release (Saudi Arabia).
Send us a UAE salary sheet. We will show the payroll run and the file for your bank.
In Kinnow
Planning UAE payroll for December 2026 onwards? Ask us to walk through the run and the file.
Questions
Does Kinnow pay the salaries?
No. It prepares the salary file after a person approves the payroll. You take the file to your bank, which makes the payments.
Is Saudi Arabia covered?
Not in the first release. Saudi payroll, including WPS, GOSI and Mudad, is not included yet.
When can I use it?
UAE payroll with the WPS salary file arrives from December 2026. Confirm the file format with your bank and your PRO or adviser.