The Emiratisation targets in brief
Private companies with 50 or more employees must raise the share of Emiratis in skilled roles by 2% a year, reaching 10% by the end of 2026, with checks at mid-year and at year end. Companies with 20 to 49 employees in 14 named sectors were required to hire at least one Emirati in 2024 and another in 2025.
Missing a target leads to financial contributions for each unfilled position. Figures and deadlines are set by MOHRE and can change, so confirm the current position for your company directly with the ministry.
Finding Emirati candidates who fit the role
A hire made only to meet a number rarely lasts. We start with the role and look for Emirati graduates and experienced professionals whose skills and ambitions match it, then put them through the same scorecard and screening as any other candidate.
Emirati candidates weigh career progression, training and working hours carefully, and many compare private-sector offers with government roles. We discuss the full offer with you early so it can compete.
- Graduate and early-career Emirati hires
- Experienced Emirati professionals for skilled and management roles
- Roles mapped to skilled job levels that count toward targets
- Hiring plans timed around mid-year and year-end checks
Nafis, pension and payroll
Nafis, the federal programme for Emirati private-sector employment, offers salary support and training for eligible Emirati employees. We can point you to the Nafis platform so you can see which support applies to your hires.
Emirati employees must be registered with the pension authority, GPSSA, and paid through the Wage Protection System. Your HR or PRO team handles these registrations; we make sure the candidate side is ready.
Keeping Emirati staff after they join
Retention counts as much as hiring, since a resignation reopens the gap. We check in during the first months and talk to you about mentoring, training and a visible path to promotion, the things Emirati employees most often cite when they decide whether to stay.