Legal Regulation of Labor Relations in International Financial Centers: A Comparative Legal Perspective (Based on The Examples of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, The UAE, And Qatar)
Abstract
The article is devoted to a comparative legal analysis of the regulation of labor relations in international financial centers (IFCs), using the Astana International Financial Centre (Kazakhstan), the Dubai International Financial Centre and Abu Dhabi Global Market (UAE), the Qatar Financial Centre (Qatar), as well as the newly established Tashkent International Financial Centre (Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. UP-48 dated March 30, 2026, Constitutional Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. ZRU-1158 dated July 13, 2026) as examples. The relevance of the study is determined by the absence in Uzbekistan of specific employment regulations for TIFC residents and, accordingly, by the need to develop scientifically substantiated approaches to their formulation. The author identifies common features of the autonomous labor law regimes of IFCs (the mandatory nature of minimum guarantees, the “End of Service Gratuity” institution, an autonomous judicial system, and shortened limitation periods) and their fundamental differences, primarily with regard to the grounds and procedure for termination of an employment contract at the employer’s initiative. It is demonstrated that the model of termination without cause subject to notice (DIFC, ADGM, QFC) conflicts with Article 42 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan and ILO Convention No. 158, whereas the AIFC model, which retains a list of grounds for termination, constitutes a more compatible reference model for the TIFC regulations. Based on the analysis, proposals are formulated regarding the structure of the future TIFC employment regulations.
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References
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