From Flexibility to Regulation: Remote Work in The UAE Public Sector and Comparative EU Insights

Background: Remote work has transformed public sector management and accountability, aligning with the UAE's digital and administrative modernisation strategies to boost efficiency and innovation. As remote work becomes institutionalised across federal entities, there is an increasing need to assess the adequacy and coherence of the legal frameworks. This study analyses how remote work is regulated in the UAE in comparison with the EU, where telework is governed by more established legal standards. Methods: The research adopts a descriptive, analytical, and comparative legal approach to examine three UAE legal instruments: Cabinet Resolution No. (27) of 2020 on remote work, Federal Decree-Law No. (49) of 2022 on HR, and Cabinet Resolution No. (48) of 2023 on the Executive Regulation. These are compared with major EU instruments, including Directive 2003/88/EC on Working Time, Directive 89/391/EEC on Safety and Health, and Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), along with relevant French and German laws and CJEU case law. Through doctrinal analysis and comparison, the study evaluates regulatory maturity, employee protections, and performance accountability. Results and Conclusions: The findings indicate that the UAE’s approach prioritises flexibility, technological readiness, and performance orientation, aligning with its administrative innovation agenda. However, notable regulatory gaps persist, including the absence of a formal right to disconnect, inconsistent performance assessment standards, and limited procedural safeguards for approving or maintaining remote work. By contrast, the EU legal framework provides more structured employee protections, clearer accountability measures, and stronger privacy guarantees. The study concludes that while the UAE’s flexible framework is well-positioned for further development, particularly through the adoption of unified performance metrics, explicit employee rest and disconnection rights, and closer alignment with international best practices. These reforms would enhance legal certainty, promote fairness, and strengthen the sustainable governance of remote work in the public sector.