What is Nafis?
Nafis is the federal programme launched in 2021 to place 75,000 UAE nationals into private-sector jobs by 2026. It funds the incentives that make private employment competitive with the historically preferred public sector.
Core benefits for Emirati hires
- Salary support: monthly top-up (up to AED 8,000 for bachelor's-degree holders, AED 7,000 for diploma, AED 5,000 for high school) for up to 5 years.
- Pension support: government contributes the employer's share of pension for eligible hires at SMEs.
- Child allowance: AED 800 per child, capped.
- Training grants: Career Counselling, Apprentice, and Talent programmes.
What employers get
- Ability to hit Emiratisation quotas without eroding margin.
- Access to a pre-screened Emirati talent pool via the Nafis platform.