The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has cautioned private sector firms to meet their Emiratisation targets prior to the June 30, 2025 deadline. The action is one of the country’s strategic plans to expand Emirati numbers in the private sector workforce. Companies with over 50 employees have to increase their Emirati staff in professional jobs by no less than 1% in the first half of the year.
From July 1, 2025, MoHRE will start auditing whether companies have fulfilled their commitments. This entails checking official employment registrations, pension system contributions, and actual Emirati job positions. Failure can lead to severe fines, with sanctions beginning at AED 9,000 per unmetered Emirati recruitment a month.
The ministry also cautioned against fake Emiratisation, such as placing Emiratis in symbolic positions to escape fines. Sophisticated monitoring systems already exist to monitor compliance, and there have been previous instances of companies being legally pursued for breaches.
MoHRE, along with the Nafis programme, continues to offer digital platforms and recruitment incentives to assist companies in achieving their targets. Companies in full compliance could receive lower service fees and other government-associated rewards.
