Private sector firms employing 50 people or more risk monthly financial penalties beginning 1 July if they have not raised their share of Emirati staff in skilled roles by the end of June, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has confirmed.
The penalty is set at AED 10,000 each month — AED 120,000 over a full year — for every skilled position a company leaves unfilled by an Emirati national. Enforcement begins the day after the 30 June cut-off.
That deadline covers the first half of 2026. Companies bound by the policy must show a 1 percent rise in the Emiratisation rate of their skilled jobs during these six months. A second 1 percent increase is due in the latter half of the year, bringing the yearly requirement to 2 percent.
To help firms still short of their numbers, MoHRE pointed to the Nafis platform, which links employers with Emirati job seekers spanning a range of fields and specialisations.
The ministry framed Emiratisation as central to the country’s longer-term economic goals, describing it as a national priority that will keep advancing. It credited cooperation with private businesses as a decisive factor in driving the policy forward, lifting competitiveness, and drawing more Emirati citizens into the workforce. Given the pace of economic expansion across UAE business sectors, the ministry said it expects companies to meet what is required of them.
Firms that go beyond their obligations remain eligible for incentives. These include a place in the Emiratisation Partners Club, which grants discounts reaching 80 percent on MoHRE service fees along with preferential standing in government procurement.
MoHRE also issued a sharp warning over so-called ‘Fake Emiratisation’ arrangements, which it classes as grave breaches of labour market rules. It said its combined digital and on-site inspection apparatus is equipped to uncover such violations and that offenders will be confronted firmly under the relevant laws.
The public can flag suspected breaches through the ministry’s call centre on 600590000, its mobile app, or its website.
