The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), UAE, has rolled out a fresh mandate for private sector employers with 50 or more employees to meet Emiratisation targets for the first half of 2025.

As per the Ministry’s mandate, all private sector employers with 50 or more employees must achieve a growth of 1% or more in the number of Emirati employees in skilled jobs, as a proportion of their total skilled workforce, by June 30, 2025.

The Ministry also said that to verify the Emiratisation targets are met, inspections will begin on July 1, 2025. It stated, “The Ministry will begin verifying the extent to which companies have complied with the set targets, as well as other related requirements, which include registering the Emirati nationals they employ with a social security fund and consistently paying the required contributions. Compliance with these conditions allows companies to avoid financial contributions, which will be imposed on establishments that violate these terms.”

H.E. Farida Al Ali, Ministry’s Assistant Undersecretary of National Talents added, “The impressive performance we have seen in the labour market, coupled with the UAE’s rapid economic growth, serve to enhance private sector companies’ ability to meet their Emiratisation targets. This progress goes hand in hand with a well-established partnership approach between the Ministry and the Nafis programme, supporting the achievement of Emiratisation policies and targets across the private sector.”

She also applauded the progress of Emiratisation across the region, as well as the private sector’s engagement and commitment, which have had a positive impact on this national priority. Adding, “The number of Emiratis working in the private sector has reached an unprecedented milestone of over 1,36,000 UAE citizens employed across 28,000 companies by the end of April 2025,”  

She further expressed confidence in the private sector employers’ ability to continue meeting their targets, particularly by leveraging the Nafis platform, which hosts a large pool of qualified Emirati candidates suited for the targeted jobs.

Al Ali also noted that “the Ministry will continue to offer incentives and benefits to companies that achieve exceptional Emiratisation results, which include membership in the Emiratisation Partners Club. Benefits for members of the Club include financial discounts of up to 80% on MoHRE service fees and priority in the government procurement system, which enhances their business growth opportunities.”

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MoHRE has also put in place effective measures to catch fraudulent activities, such as ‘Fake Emiratisation’ schemes or attempts to dodge Emiratisation targets, using its digital inspection system. 

Fake Emiratisation is a rising concern, as between mid-2022 and April 2025, this system flagged about 2,200 private sector companies that violated Emiratisation policies and regulations. The Ministry is taking serious action against them and has also urged people to report any further violations via the call center, its mobile application, or the official website.

Last year, it fined an Abu Dhabi-based private sector company DH10 million for failing to comply with Emiratisation regulations and bypassing set targets by appointing 113 Emiratis to fictitious roles.

It also stated that, starting July 1, 2024, private sector employers are required to increase their Emirati workforce by 2% annually, aiming for at least 10% by 2026. From July 1, companies not meeting these targets will face fines of Dh48,000 for each unfulfilled position.