Emiratisation targets and Nafis in the UAE for 2026
If your UAE company has 50 or more workers, you must add UAE nationals to your skilled jobs at 2% a year: 1% by 30 June and 1% by the end of the year. Each position you miss in 2026 costs AED 10,000 a month. Companies with 20 to 49 employees in 14 named sectors had to employ two UAE nationals by the end of 2025.
Emiratisation for UAE hires
- Tier check by headcount and sector
- Half-year milestones tracked
- National roles advertised through Nafis
MoHRE confirms the 30 June 2026 Emiratisation deadline
What happened
MoHRE reminded private companies with 50 or more workers that 30 June 2026 was the deadline for the first-half target, a 1% rise in UAE nationals in skilled jobs. It said it would charge AED 10,000 a month for each unfilled position from 1 July 2026.
What it means for you
A missed position now costs AED 120,000 a year. The second 1% is due by the end of 2026, and MoHRE says it treats fake Emiratisation as a serious violation.
Dates to know
- 1 July 2026MoHRE starts charging AED 10,000 a month for each position not filled with a UAE national.
- End of 2026The second 1% rise in UAE nationals in skilled jobs for 2026 is due.
Source: Emirates News Agency (WAM). We check this page every week. Last checked .
Emiratisation is the UAE government's policy of raising the number of UAE nationals working in the private sector. MoHRE sets the targets and collects a financial contribution from companies that miss them. There are two tiers. Companies with 50 or more workers must raise the share of UAE nationals in their skilled jobs by 2% a year, split into 1% in each half of the year. Smaller companies with 20 to 49 employees that work in one of 14 named sectors have a fixed headcount target instead. Nafis is the federal programme that supports UAE nationals into private sector jobs, and its platform is where MoHRE asks companies to advertise roles to Emirati job seekers.
What is the Emiratisation target for companies with 50 or more workers?
A 2% rise each year in the share of UAE nationals in the company's skilled jobs: 1% in the first half of the year and the remaining 1% in the second half.
The target is measured on skilled jobs, not on total headcount. The government's stated aim is a cumulative increase of 10 percentage points by 2026, at 2% a year from 2022. For 2026, the first-half deadline was 30 June and the second 1% is due by the end of the year. Companies with strong results can join the Emiratisation Partners Club, which MoHRE says gives discounts of up to 80% on its service fees and priority in government procurement.
What does it cost to miss the target in 2026?
AED 10,000 a month, or AED 120,000 a year, for each position that should have gone to a UAE national. MoHRE began charging this from 1 July 2026 for companies that missed the first-half target.
The contribution has risen each year since it started at AED 6,000 a month in January 2023, with the government portal stating an increase of AED 1,000 a year until 2026. The contribution is paid through MoHRE's systems. It does not replace the target: the shortfall still has to be filled.
What applies to companies with 20 to 49 employees?
If the company works in one of 14 named sectors, it had to employ one UAE national by the end of 2024 and a second by the end of 2025. A company that missed these faced a contribution of AED 96,000 in January 2025 and AED 108,000 in January 2026.
The 14 sectors are information and communications; financial and insurance activities; real estate; professional, scientific and technical activities; administrative and support services; education; healthcare and social work; arts and entertainment; mining and quarrying; manufacturing; construction; wholesale and retail trade; transportation and warehousing; and hospitality. A company of this size outside those sectors is not in scope of this rule.
What changed for private healthcare in June 2026?
Under a rule announced on 16 June 2026, half of a private healthcare facility's annual 2% target must be filled with specialised healthcare roles, and the other half with other skilled jobs. Compliance is checked from early 2027.
MoHRE, working with the Ministry of Health and Prevention, said facilities that met the first-half 2026 target through skilled jobs should aim for a 1% rise in healthcare roles in the second half. MoHRE will assess compliance with the new split from the start of 2027, and facilities that fall short will pay financial contributions.
What is fake Emiratisation and why does it matter?
Fake Emiratisation is registering UAE nationals in roles they do not really hold, to meet the target or claim Nafis support. MoHRE treats it as a serious labour market violation and says it finds cases through digital checks and field inspections.
The government portal lists fake Emiratisation and fraud aimed at obtaining Nafis benefits as violations under Cabinet Resolution No. 95 of 2022. Penalties are separate from the monthly contribution and can be far larger, so a role created only to count towards the target is a bigger risk than the contribution it avoids.
What is Nafis and how does it help an employer?
Nafis is the federal programme that supports UAE nationals into private sector work. MoHRE asks companies to post vacancies on the Nafis platform to reach qualified Emirati job seekers.
Nafis was launched with an aim of placing 75,000 UAE nationals in private sector jobs over five years. In June 2026 MoHRE noted the leadership's directive to extend the programme until 2040.
Key figures
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Target for companies with 50 or more workers | Increase the number of UAE nationals in skilled jobs by 2% a year: 1% in the first half of the year and the remaining 1% in the second half. (source) |
| Overall aim by 2026 | The Cabinet decision raises Emiratisation rates by 2% annually for skilled jobs in private sector establishments with 50 or more employees, to achieve a cumulative increase of 10 percentage points by 2026. (source) |
| 2026 first-half deadline and contribution | 30 June 2026 was the deadline for the first-half 2026 target. From 1 July 2026, non-compliant companies pay AED 10,000 a month (AED 120,000 a year) for each position not filled with a UAE national. (source) |
| How the contribution started | AED 6,000 a month for every UAE national not employed against the target, starting from January 2023, rising by AED 1,000 a year until 2026. (source) |
| Companies with 20 to 49 employees | Companies with 20 to 49 employees in 14 named sectors must hire at least one UAE national by the end of 2024 and one more by the end of 2025. Contributions: AED 96,000 in January 2025 for failing to hire one in 2024; AED 108,000 in January 2026 for failing to hire two in 2025. (source) |
| Private healthcare split | Announced 16 June 2026: in private healthcare facilities with 50 or more workers, the 2% annual target must be split equally between specialised healthcare professions and other skilled jobs. MoHRE will assess compliance from the beginning of 2027; non-compliant facilities pay financial contributions. (source) |
| Emiratisation Partners Club | Companies with outstanding Emiratisation results can join the Emiratisation Partners Club: discounts of up to 80% on MoHRE service fees and priority access to government procurement. (source) |
| Nafis programme | Nafis aims to employ 75,000 UAE nationals in the private sector over five years. In June 2026 MoHRE cited the leadership's directive to extend the Nafis programme until 2040. (source) |
| Fake Emiratisation | Fake Emiratisation and fraud aimed at obtaining Nafis benefits or circumventing Emiratisation targets are violations under Cabinet Resolution No. 95 of 2022. (source) |
| Criminal fine for fictitious employment (2024 amendment) | AED 100,000 to AED 1,000,000 for faking the recruitment of one or more employees, including fake Emiratisation, multiplied by the number of workers involved. Prosecution only at the Minister's request; the Ministry can settle before judgment if the employer pays at least half the minimum fine and repays any financial incentives received (August 2024 amendment). (source) |
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Emiratisation fine in 2026?
MoHRE calls it a financial contribution. For 2026 it is AED 10,000 a month, or AED 120,000 a year, for each position that should have been filled by a UAE national, charged from 1 July 2026 for companies with 50 or more workers that missed the first-half target.
Is the 2% target based on all my employees?
No. It is based on skilled jobs. Companies with 50 or more workers must raise the share of UAE nationals in skilled jobs by 2% a year, 1% in each half of the year.
My company has 30 employees. Does Emiratisation apply?
Only if you work in one of the 14 named sectors, such as information and communications, finance, real estate, construction or hospitality. In scope companies had to employ one UAE national by the end of 2024 and a second by the end of 2025, or pay AED 96,000 (January 2025) and AED 108,000 (January 2026).
Do I have to use Nafis to hire UAE nationals?
MoHRE asks targeted companies to post vacancies on the Nafis platform to reach qualified Emirati job seekers. The sources checked present it as the route MoHRE recommends rather than the only permitted channel.
What changed for private hospitals and clinics?
Under a rule announced on 16 June 2026, half of the annual 2% target in a private healthcare facility with 50 or more workers must be specialised healthcare roles. MoHRE will check compliance from the start of 2027.
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