UAE Ministry Urges Private Sector to Fulfill Emiratisation Targets

The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has reminded private sector companies, emphasizing the need to meet their Emiratisation targets by December 31.

Companies with 50 employees or more must have Emiratis comprising 4% of skilled roles within their workforce by the end of the year.

Gradual Implementation: 2% Increase Annually Until 2026:

The Emiratisation initiative requires companies to incrementally add 2% of Emiratis to skilled roles annually until 2026. 

A new mechanism was introduced this year, splitting the annual target into two phases—adding 1% in the year’s first half and the remaining 1% in the second half.

Escalating Fines for Non-Compliance:

Fines for companies failing to meet Emiratisation targets increase annually. This year, fines are set at Dh7,000 per month per Emirati not hired, up from Dh6,000 last year. 

Companies that did not meet the semi-annual deadline in July faced penalties of Dh42,000 for each Emirati not hired. Additional fines of Dh42,000 per citizen not hired will be imposed if the 1% target for the second half 2023 is not met by December 31.

Nafis Platform Assistance and Achievements:

The MoHRE encourages establishments struggling to meet targets to utilize the Nafis platform to find Emirati job-seekers. 

Currently, 18,000 establishments have met their Emiratisation targets, significantly increasing the number of citizens joining the private sector. 

Over 84,000 Emiratis are employed in the private sector, with more than 54,000 securing jobs in the last two years.

Zero-Tolerance for Fake Emiratisation:

The MoHRE maintains a zero-tolerance policy against fake Emiratisation. In August, it identified 565 companies hiring 824 UAE nationals in fake jobs, leading to fines ranging from Dh20,000 to Dh100,000. 

Fake Emiratisation involves hiring UAE nationals to meet quotas without assigning them real tasks or responsibilities.