What is Emiratisation?
Emiratisation is the UAE's national workforce policy that requires private-sector employers with 50 or more skilled employees to hire UAE nationals at a growing quota — 2% of skilled roles per year, rising to 10% by end of 2026.
Non-compliance triggers monthly financial contributions of AED 96,000 per unfilled Emirati position per year (AED 8,000/month), collected by MOHRE and channelled into the Nafis programme.
Who it applies to
- Private-sector companies with 50+ skilled employees on the mainland.
- Since 2024, extended to companies with 20–49 employees in 14 target economic sectors.
How it's measured
Quotas are calculated only against skilled roles (levels 1–5 in MOHRE's skill classification). Unskilled labour is excluded.
Related programmes
Nafis provides salary support, training, and pension top-ups for Emirati private-sector hires — it exists to make the quota achievable, not optional.