VoxxArrive · UAE onboarding topic
Emiratisation & Nafis targets: the MOHRE quota rules every UAE private employer must meet
UAE mainland private-sector companies with 50 or more employees must raise Emiratis in skilled roles by 2 percentage points a year - split into two 1% steps due 30 June and 31 December - reaching 10% of skilled jobs by the end of 2026. Since 2024, companies with 20-49 employees in 14 designated sectors must also hire one Emirati per year. Missing a target triggers a monthly financial contribution to MOHRE (for 50+ firms) or an annual lump-sum contribution (for smaller firms), and the Nafis programme funds Emirati salaries to help employers comply.
Steps
- Confirm whether the quota applies to you - The Emiratisation quota applies to MOHRE-registered mainland private companies. Firms with 50+ employees carry the 2%-per-year skilled-role target; firms with 20-49 employees are caught only if they operate in one of 14 designated sectors (information & communications; finance & insurance; real estate; professional, scientific & technical; administrative & support; education; healthcare & social work; arts & entertainment; mining & quarrying; manufacturing/transformative industries; construction; wholesale & retail; transport & warehousing; and accommodation & hospitality). Free-zone entities (e.g. DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA, DMCC) are generally outside the MOHRE mainland quota - confirm your own registration.
- Count your skilled roles and current Emirati headcount - For 50+ firms the target is measured against skilled positions only. Establish your baseline so you know how many Emiratis a 1% half-year uplift and the year-end target actually require.
- Register and recruit through Nafis - Nafis is the federal programme that subsidises Emirati private-sector salaries and connects employers to Emirati candidates. Use the Nafis platform to source hires and to access wage-support that lowers the cost of meeting the quota.
- Hit the half-yearly deadlines for 50+ firms - Achieve a 1% growth in Emiratis in skilled roles by 30 June and a further 1% by 31 December each year. Financial contributions for a missed first-half target are charged from 1 July; second-half misses are charged from 1 January.
- Meet the annual hire for 20-49 firms - If you are in a designated sector, hire (and retain) at least one Emirati per qualifying year. The obligation is cumulative - the citizens hired in prior years must be kept on.
- Avoid fake-Emiratisation practices - MOHRE actively inspects for fictitious or phantom Emirati hires used to game the quota. Penalties for fake Emiratisation are separate from, and heavier than, quota-shortfall contributions, and can include referral for legal action and loss of establishment classification benefits.
Timeline
Two fixed deadlines every year for 50+ firms: 30 June (first 1% uplift) and 31 December (second 1% uplift). The phased scheme runs to end-2026, when 50+ firms must reach 10% Emiratis in skilled roles. For 20-49 firms the milestone is annual (one additional Emirati per qualifying year), with contributions for a missed year collected the following January.
Cost & fees
Non-compliance is charged as a financial contribution, not a simple fine, and the amount depends on company size and year. Companies with 50+ employees pay a MONTHLY contribution per unfilled skilled Emirati position: per the official escalation rule this started at AED 6,000/month (AED 72,000/year) in 2022 and rises by AED 1,000 each year - AED 7,000/month in 2023, AED 8,000/month in 2024, AED 9,000/month in 2025 (AED 108,000/year) and AED 10,000/month (AED 120,000/year) in 2026, the rate that applies to the 30 June 2026 first-half deadline. Companies with 20-49 employees pay an ANNUAL lump-sum contribution per unmet position: AED 96,000 for a 2024 miss (collected from January 2025) and AED 108,000 for a 2025 miss (collected from January 2026). Instalment plans can be agreed with MOHRE. Compliant firms earn benefits including up to 80% discounts on MOHRE service fees; non-compliant firms can be downgraded in MOHRE's establishment classification.
Your task slice
4 of the 57 onboarding tasks apply here.
Assess Emiratisation/Nitaqat impact of the hire before proceeding (skilled-role headcount)
Register UAE/GCC national with GPSSA (within one month of joining)
GPSSA registration
Update Emiratisation/Nitaqat headcount records with MOHRE (if Emirati; counts only if GPSSA + WPS)
Reassess Emiratisation target contribution and Nafis eligibility
Some figures on this page vary by jurisdiction, zone or nationality, or could not be independently confirmed from a public source at time of writing - confirm the current figure with the regulator before relying on it.
Sources
- The UAE Government portal (u.ae) - Employing Emiratis in the private sector (targets, sectors and penalty structure)
- MOHRE News - Ministry urges private-sector companies to meet 2025 Emiratisation targets before 31 December (2% growth, 1 January 2026 contributions, classification consequences)
- MOHRE News - Ministry begins implementing Emiratisation targets on over 12,000 private companies with 20-49 employees (14 sectors, AED 96,000 / AED 108,000 contributions)
- MOHRE Guidance & Awareness Portal - Emiratisation Targets (2% annual growth for 50+ skilled positions)
- Gulf News - MOHRE warns UAE firms ahead of Emiratisation deadline (30 June deadline, 1% half-year growth, monthly contribution from 1 July)
Frequently asked
Does the Emiratisation quota apply to free-zone companies?
The 2%-per-year skilled-role quota applies to MOHRE-registered mainland private companies. Free-zone entities such as those in DIFC, ADGM, JAFZA and DMCC are generally not subject to the MOHRE mainland Emiratisation targets, though they remain subject to their own free-zone employment rules. Always confirm against your specific licence and registration.
What exactly is the target for a company with 50 or more employees?
A 2 percentage-point increase in Emiratis in skilled roles each year, delivered as two 1% steps - one due by 30 June and one by 31 December - building to 10% of skilled positions by the end of 2026. The target is measured against skilled roles, not total headcount.
My company has 30 staff - am I affected?
Only if you operate in one of the 14 designated economic sectors. Companies with 20-49 employees in those sectors must hire at least one Emirati per qualifying year (one in 2024, another in 2025) and retain them. Firms with 19 or fewer employees are not currently caught by these rules.
What is Nafis and how does it help?
Nafis is the federal Emirati talent programme launched under the 'Projects of the 50', with a stated goal of getting 75,000 Emiratis into private-sector jobs. It subsidises Emirati salaries and other benefits so that employing UAE nationals is more affordable, and provides a recruitment platform to help employers meet their MOHRE targets.
What happens if we simply pay the contribution instead of hiring?
The financial contribution is a penalty for shortfall, not a buy-out - the target obligation continues, contributions accrue each period you remain short, and non-compliant firms lose classification benefits (including MOHRE fee discounts). Using fake or phantom Emirati hires to appear compliant is treated far more seriously and can lead to legal referral.