Recruitment Agency India / UAE & Dubai
Overseas Manpower Recruitment Agency in UAE and Dubai
Manpower First is an overseas manpower recruitment agency in India, based in Mumbai since 1987. We source, screen and prepare skilled Indian workers for employers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and across the UAE, on employment visas only.
How to Hire Indian Workers for the UAE and Dubai
Share your roles, headcount and start date with Manpower First. We send a shortlist of screened Indian candidates, and you interview and select. You then issue the offer letter through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) and obtain the entry permit. We prepare each candidate's documents, arrange pre-departure medical screening and emigration clearance, and book travel. Deployment is usually under 15 days from the signed Ministry offer letter, depending on how quickly the offer letter and entry permit are issued.
We work with UAE employment visas only. We do not handle tourist visas or visit visas.
Updated October 2026
How UAE Employers Hire Workers From India
Hiring from India for the UAE has two sides. You, the employer, hold the offer letter, the work permit and the visa. Manpower First runs the India side: sourcing, screening, candidate documents, pre-departure medical screening, emigration clearance and travel.
Requirement Brief
You share the job titles, number of workers, work location in the UAE, salary and benefits, and preferred start date. Manpower First replies with an initial assessment.
You and Manpower FirstSourcing and Shortlist
We search our candidate network and the open market in India, screen each candidate against your job description, check trade skills and documents, and send you a shortlist.
Manpower FirstInterviews and Selection
You review the profiles and interview by video, or in person in Mumbai. Trade tests are arranged where the role needs them. The final selection is always yours.
You decideOffer Letter and Work Permit
You issue the offer letter through MOHRE and apply for the work permit. We collect the candidate's signature on the offer letter and give you the candidate documents your application needs.
Employer appliesEntry Permit and Pre-Departure
You obtain the entry permit for employment and send it to us. In India we arrange pre-departure medical screening, emigration clearance where the worker's passport requires it, a pre-departure briefing and flights.
Employer and Manpower FirstArrival and Residence Formalities
The worker lands in the UAE on the entry permit. You then complete the medical fitness test, Emirates ID, employment contract and residence visa in the UAE. We stay reachable for any candidate-side query.
Employer completesEmployment Visas Only
Manpower First recruits only against a UAE employment visa: a signed offer letter, a work permit and an entry permit issued for employment. We do not arrange, process or advise on tourist visas or visit visas, and we do not send candidates to the UAE on a visit visa to look for work or to change status later.
UAE Employment Visa Process for Indian Workers — Typical Timeline
| Stage | What happens | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement brief | You share roles, headcount, location and start date. We reply with an initial assessment. | Within 12 hours |
| Shortlist | Screened profiles from our candidate network, or a targeted search for specialised roles. | Set by the role |
| Selection | Video or in-person interviews and trade tests as you require. You choose who receives an offer. | Set by your interviews |
| Offer letter & work permit | You issue the Ministry offer letter, the candidate signs it, and you apply for the work permit. | Set by your application |
| Entry permit | You obtain the entry permit for employment and send it to us. | Set by your application |
| Pre-departure | Pre-departure medical screening, emigration clearance where required, briefing and flights. | Runs in parallel |
From the signed Ministry offer letter to departure: usually under 15 days, depending on how quickly the offer letter and entry permit are issued.
A Recruitment Agency in India for UAE and Dubai Employers
Indians are the largest expatriate community in the UAE: about 4.36 million people as of December 2024, according to India's Consul General in Dubai, with more than half of them living in Dubai. Construction sites, hotels, warehouses, workshops and offices across the Emirates run on Indian skills.
Manpower First is an overseas manpower recruitment agency based in Mumbai, operating since 1987, with the Gulf as its largest market. For UAE employers we are the India side of your hiring: we find, screen and prepare the workers, while the offer letter, work permit and visa stay in your hands, as UAE rules require.
Whether you need two workers or two hundred, you deal with one point of contact in Mumbai. Every worker we send travels on a UAE employment visa. We do not work with tourist or visit visas.
مانباور فيرست شركة هندية مقرها مومباي تعمل في استقدام العمالة من الهند إلى الخارج منذ عام 1987، وتخدم أصحاب العمل في دبي وأبوظبي والشارقة وسائر إمارات الدولة. نوفّر عمالة ماهرة وشبه ماهرة لقطاعات البناء والضيافة والخدمات اللوجستية وإدارة المرافق والتصنيع. نعمل بتأشيرات العمل فقط، ولا نتعامل مع تأشيرات السياحة أو الزيارة.
Manpower Recruitment Agency in India for Dubai Employers
Dubai is where much of the UAE's demand for Indian workers sits. Whatever your business in Dubai, we find, screen and prepare the Indian workers you need, and you bring them in on employment visas.
Construction, Fit-Out and MEP in Dubai
Masons, shuttering carpenters, steel fixers, tile layers, painters, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians and site supervisors for Dubai contractors and fit-out companies.
Hotels, Restaurants and Retail in Dubai
Commis chefs, cooks, waiters, baristas, kitchen stewards, housekeeping attendants, sales staff and cashiers for Dubai hotel, restaurant and retail groups.
Logistics, Warehousing and Facilities in Dubai
Warehouse workers, forklift operators, drivers, cleaners, maintenance technicians and helpers for Dubai logistics and facilities management companies.
Small Businesses in Dubai
Workshops, garages, salons, cafes and trading companies hiring their first few workers from India. Two workers get the same care as two hundred.
Bulk Hiring for Dubai Projects
When a project date cannot move, we run selection across several Indian cities at once and phase departures to match your site schedule.
Replacements for Running Operations
Hotels, restaurants and maintenance teams that need like-for-like replacements. We match each new worker to the standards your current team already works to.
Where We Supply Manpower in the UAE
We recruit Indian workers for employers in all seven emirates. The India side of the process is the same wherever your company is based.
Dubai
Contractors, hotels, restaurants, retailers, logistics and facilities management companies. Dubai is covered in detail in the section above.
Abu Dhabi & Al Ain
The capital and the centre of the UAE's oil and gas industry. We recruit construction and MEP trades, welders and fabricators, plant and maintenance technicians, hospitality staff and drivers.
Sharjah
Manufacturing, workshops, warehousing and trading companies. We recruit machine operators, production workers, technicians, warehouse staff and drivers.
Ajman & Umm Al Quwain
Small and mid-sized factories, workshops and trading businesses that hire a few workers at a time. The process is the same for two workers as for two hundred.
Ras Al Khaimah & Fujairah
Manufacturing, quarrying, ports and resort hotels. We recruit industrial workers, equipment operators, technicians and hotel staff.
Project Sites Across the UAE
Industrial areas, remote project sites and worker accommodation outside the cities. We plan travel and arrival around your site location.
A Manpower Agency in India for Every Size of UAE Employer
Manpower First works from Mumbai for three kinds of UAE employer. All three hire through the same employment visa process.
Contractors and Facilities Management Companies
Construction, MEP, fit-out and facilities management companies that need crews of tradesmen, technicians, cleaners and helpers, often against a project date.
Hotel, Restaurant and Retail Groups
Hospitality and retail operators that need kitchen, service, housekeeping and store staff who fit the standards their existing teams already work to.
Small and Growing Businesses
Workshops, trading companies, cafes and start-ups hiring their first few workers from India. You get the same single point of contact as our largest clients.
Why UAE Employers Choose Indian Workers
India has supplied the Gulf with skilled workers for decades. For UAE employers that means experience, scale and easy communication.
Gulf-Experienced Trades
Many Indian tradesmen and technicians have already worked in the UAE or elsewhere in the Gulf. They know the site routines, the climate and the pace, and they settle in quickly.
A Large Workforce, Fast to Mobilise
India has one of the world's largest workforces. Manpower First combines an established candidate network with a fresh, targeted search for every requirement, for single hires and bulk requirements alike.
Working English, Checked at Interview
Many Indian workers with overseas experience have working English, which eases instructions on site and with customers. We check it at interview, so you know each candidate's level before you choose.
Sectors & Roles We Recruit for the UAE
Manpower First recruits blue-collar, technical and white-collar staff from India for the sectors where UAE employers hire most.
Construction & Civil
Civil foremen, masons, shuttering carpenters, steel fixers, scaffolders, riggers, tile layers, painters, plasterers, equipment operators and general helpers.
MEP & Technical
Electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, duct fabricators, pipe fitters, welders, fabricators, mechanics and maintenance technicians.
Hotels & Hospitality
Chefs of all grades, commis 1, 2 and 3, cooks, waiters, baristas, kitchen stewards, housekeeping attendants, and food and beverage supervisors.
Facilities Management & Cleaning
Office and commercial cleaners, housekeeping staff, building maintenance workers, landscaping workers and helpers.
Logistics, Warehousing & Drivers
Warehouse workers, pickers and packers, forklift operators, loaders, and light and heavy vehicle drivers.
Manufacturing, Retail & White Collar
Machine operators, production workers, quality controllers, sales staff, cashiers, accountants, engineers, administrators and office staff.
Test Before You Hire: Trade Tests, Interviews and Selection Visits in Mumbai
Test Before You Hire
- Video trade tests recorded against your job description, so you see the work and not only the certificate
- Live video interviews with every shortlisted candidate
- Selection visits: your team can interview and test candidates in person in Mumbai
- You decide who receives an offer letter; we do not select on your behalf
Our Candidate Standard
- Documented experience in the exact trade you are hiring for
- Previous UAE or Gulf work, where the role calls for it
- Working English for site, kitchen and customer instructions
- You set the bar: tell us the minimum years and background you need
An Overseas Manpower Recruitment Company Trusted Since 1987
Recruiting From Mumbai Since 1987
Manpower First is a generational, family-run business that has recruited Indian workers for overseas employers since 1987. The Gulf is our largest market, so Gulf hiring is everyday work for our team.
One Point of Contact for the India Side
Sourcing, screening, trade tests, candidate documents, pre-departure medical screening, emigration clearance and flights are handled by one team. Manpower First prepares and manages all candidate documentation, while the visa and work permit applications are made by the employer.
Employment Visas Only
We recruit only against a signed offer letter and an entry permit issued for employment. No tourist visas and no visit visas, so every worker arrives able to start work lawfully.
Pre-Departure Medical Screening
Every selected candidate goes through pre-departure medical screening in India before travelling, so that a medical problem is found before the flight and not after arrival.
Speed Without Shortcuts
Candidate documents, pre-departure medical screening and emigration clearance run side by side in India, so nothing on our side holds up your entry permit or the worker's departure.
Two Workers or Two Hundred
Single placements for a small business and bulk requirements for a project go through the same screening and the same documentation checks.
What a UAE Employer Needs Before Hiring From India
Trade Licence and Establishment Card
A valid trade licence and an active establishment card are the base of every application. Have both current before you start, so nothing delays the work permit.
Work Permit Quota
Your company needs available quota for the job titles you want to fill. Tell us the titles on your quota and we shortlist against those exact titles.
Ministry Offer Letter
The offer letter is issued through the Ministry and signed by you and the candidate. It states the job title, salary and benefits, and the employment contract that follows is based on it.
Entry Permit for Employment
Once the work permit is approved, you obtain the entry permit and send it to us. This is the document the worker travels on.
Wage Protection System
Wages for workers on Ministry work permits are paid through the Wage Protection System (WPS). Your company should be registered and up to date before new workers arrive.
Formalities After Arrival
After the worker lands, you complete the medical fitness test, Emirates ID, employment contract and residence visa. We brief every candidate on these steps before departure.
Who Does What
Manpower First prepares and manages all candidate documentation, while the visa and work permit applications are made by the employer and decided by the UAE authorities. Rules can change, so treat this page as a guide and confirm the current requirements with the Ministry.
Send Us Your Requirements
Send us your workforce requirements and our team will respond within 12 hours with a clear plan and timeline. No fields are mandatory. We work with UAE employment visas only, not tourist or visit visas.
Frequently Asked Questions — UAE and Dubai Employers
You share your roles, headcount and start date, and we send a shortlist of screened Indian candidates. You interview and select. You then issue the offer letter through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), apply for the work permit and obtain the entry permit. Manpower First prepares each candidate's documents, arranges pre-departure medical screening and emigration clearance, and books travel.
Deployment is usually under 15 days from the signed Ministry offer letter. The exact time depends on how quickly the employer issues the offer letter and obtains the entry permit.
Two documents. First, the offer letter issued through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, which the candidate signs. Second, the entry permit issued for employment once the work permit is approved. The worker travels on that entry permit.
Yes. Manpower First arranges pre-departure medical screening in India for every selected candidate. The official medical fitness test is then carried out in the UAE after arrival, as part of the residence visa process handled by the employer.
Yes. We record video trade tests against your job description, arrange live video interviews with every shortlisted candidate, and can host your team in Mumbai to interview and test candidates in person. You decide who receives an offer letter.
There is no minimum. Manpower First handles single placements for small businesses and bulk requirements for projects through the same screening and documentation process.
No. Manpower First works with UAE employment visas only. We do not arrange, process or advise on tourist visas or visit visas, and we do not send candidates to the UAE on a visit visa to look for work.
We do not recruit that way. Every candidate we deploy travels on an entry permit issued for employment, against a signed offer letter, so they can start work lawfully from day one.
The employer. The offer letter, work permit, entry permit and residence visa are applied for by the employer and decided by the UAE authorities. Manpower First prepares and manages all candidate documentation, so that the employer's application has what it needs from the candidate's side.
Indian workers whose passports carry Emigration Check Required status need emigration clearance in India before leaving for employment in the UAE. Manpower First assists every such candidate with emigration clearance as part of pre-departure.
Construction and civil trades, MEP and technical trades, hotels and hospitality, facilities management and cleaning, logistics, warehousing and drivers, and manufacturing, retail and white-collar roles. Typical trades include masons, carpenters, steel fixers, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, welders, cooks, waiters, housekeeping staff, cleaners, warehouse workers, forklift operators and drivers.
Yes. We recruit Indian workers for employers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
Yes. Small and growing businesses hire through the same employment visa process as large employers, and get the same single point of contact in Mumbai, whether they need two workers or two hundred.
Manpower First is an overseas manpower recruitment agency based in Mumbai, India, operating since 1987. We are not a UAE-based agency. We work for UAE and Dubai employers as their recruitment agency in India, handling the India side of the hiring.
UAE employers sourcing workers directly from India have no local screening or verification in place and no one on the ground to prepare candidates. An established overseas manpower recruitment agency in India already has the sourcing network, trade-skill checks and local presence. Working with a proven recruitment agency in India — Manpower First has operated as a manpower agency in India since 1987 — reduces hiring risk and speeds up shortlist delivery.
Yes. Manpower First serves 15 countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Israel, Germany, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Japan and Mauritius.
This page is for employers. Jobseekers can see current openings on the Manpower First vacancies page at manpowerfirst.com/jobs. We recruit only against confirmed employer requirements and employment visas.
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for the UAE and Dubai?
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