Emiratisation: the rules employers follow

Who is covered and the headline targets

The government portal says the Cabinet approved raising Emiratisation rates by 2 per cent annually for skilled jobs in private establishments with 50 or more employees, with the aim of an overall increase of 10 per cent by 2026. MOHRE's targets page states the same annual requirement. A 2023 MOHRE statement explains that the 2 per cent is reached in two steps of 1 per cent, one every six months, and that targeted companies are expected to reach a 10 per cent Emiratisation rate by the end of 2026.^[1][2][3]

A separate rule covers companies with 20 to 49 workers in 14 listed sectors, which include real estate activities, financial and insurance activities, and professional, scientific and technical activities. The portal says such a company had to hire at least one UAE citizen by the end of 2024 and one more by the end of 2025. MOHRE's October 2025 statement describes the requirement as recruiting at least one citizen and retaining those already employed, before 1 January 2026.^[1][4]

Date read: 15 October 2026, the day the portal page was marked as updated. The figures it gives run to 2026. This guide did not find, and does not state, the targets for 2027 or later, nor the contribution amounts for 2026 beyond what the portal gives. Employers should check the current MOHRE resolutions before planning against any figure here.^[1]

Contributions and penalties

The portal says that since 2023 a non-compliant company has had to pay AED 6,000 a month for every citizen not employed according to the required target, and that this amount increases by AED 1,000 a year until 2026. For the smaller companies it lists annual contributions of AED 96,000 in January 2025 for failing to hire one Emirati in 2024, and AED 108,000 in January 2026 for failing to hire two in 2025. In October 2025 MOHRE said contributions would be imposed from 1 January 2026 on companies that miss their required rates.^[1][4]

MOHRE's May 2023 announcement on circumvention fines, which restated the semi-annual targets, gave a different figure, AED 42,000 for each Emirati not appointed, so published amounts depend on the date and the mechanism. The same announcement set fines for circumventing targets, for example by reducing headcount or changing job classifications: AED 100,000 for a first proven case, AED 300,000 for a second, and AED 500,000 for a third and later cases. The company must still meet its targets based on its position before the circumvention. MOHRE has also said non-compliance can lead to a lower classification in its establishment classification system.^[3][4]

Obligations when employing Emiratis

The portal lists employer obligations when hiring Emiratis: obtain a UAE national work permit from MOHRE, conclude an employment contract in line with MOHRE rules, pay salary through the Wage Protection System, register the employee in the pensions and social security system within a month of the permit being issued, and report changes that may affect eligibility for Nafis benefits. The work permit must be cancelled immediately when the contract ends. Employers must not pay Emiratis less than counterparts in the same position, or deduct pay because of government support.^[1]

MOHRE set the minimum monthly wage for Emiratis in the private sector at AED 6,000 from 1 January 2026, applying to new, renewed or amended citizen work permits. Establishments that already employed Emiratis had until 30 June 2026 to adjust. MOHRE said that from 1 July 2026 citizens whose pay was not adjusted would not count towards targets and new work permits could be suspended. On pensions, the portal states a monthly contribution of 20 per cent of salary to the GPSSA: 5 per cent from the employee, 12.5 per cent from the employer and 2.5 per cent from the government.^[5][1]

When advertising Emiratisation vacancies, the portal says companies must avoid posting unskilled or misleading advertisements that do not represent real skilled vacancies, referring to government Emiratisation policies without MOHRE approval, and giving information on incentives offered to nationals. Listed violations of the Nafis rules include fake Emiratisation and fraudulent practices to obtain Nafis benefits, failing to report changes that affect eligibility, and cases where an employee never joins after a permit is issued while the establishment keeps receiving support.^[1]

Nafis and support for employers

Nafis is the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council. According to the portal it runs national initiatives to support Emiratis in the private sector, and the programme aims to employ 75,000 Emiratis in the private sector over five years while offering incentives to establishments that attract and retain them. MOHRE advises companies subject to the policies to use the Nafis platform to reach job-seeking citizens, and says its monitoring system flags practices such as fake Emiratisation, with artificial intelligence tools added.^[1][4]

MOHRE says compliant companies keep access to Nafis benefits and the Emiratisation Partners Club, where companies with exceptional Emiratisation results receive discounts of up to 80 per cent on MOHRE service fees and priority in government procurement. The government portal also describes a national student employment contract, a one-year full-time contract with a salary of at least AED 4,000 a month, which counts towards the company's required Emiratisation percentage. That figure rests on Ministerial Resolution No. 240 of 2023, while MOHRE's December 2025 announcement says the minimum for all Emiratis in the private sector must be AED 6,000 by 30 June 2026. The sources do not reconcile the two, so employers should confirm the current student figure with MOHRE.^[4][6][5]

Questions