Dubai: UAE companies with 50 or more employees must meet their half-yearly Emiratisation target by June 30, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) reminded on Tuesday. These firms are required to increase their Emirati workforce by 1 per cent before the deadline.
Starting July 1, the ministry will monitor compliance and impose fines for non-compliance. Private companies must increase their Emirati workforce by 2 per cent annually to reach a minimum of 10 per cent by 2026, with a 1 per cent increase required in each half of the year.
Currently, over 97,000 Emiratis work in more than 20,000 private companies, according to a recent Mohre report. Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, highlighted the success of the Nafis programme in supporting these efforts.
In early 2023, Mohre began implementing a UAE Cabinet decision to include firms with 20 to 49 employees in the Emiratisation requirements. Over 12,000 such companies in 14 specific economic sectors must hire at least one Emirati in 2024 and another in 2025.
Regular inspections ensure compliance, with over 1,300 violations recorded since mid-2022. The number of Emirati employees in the private sector has increased by approximately 170 per cent since the launch of the Nafis programme in September 2021.
Mohre urged companies to adhere to the Emiratisation targets and utilize the Nafis platform, which provides data on qualified Emiratis seeking employment in various specializations.