UAE firms must meet Emiratisation targets within the next 13 days or face fines of $20k (AED72,000) a year for every Emirati not hired.
Companies with more than 50 employees must ensure that 2 percent of employees are Emirati before the deadline of January 1 rolls around in just 13 days’ time. The move is in line with the government’s Nafis initiative.
Firms that fail to meet the targets will be fined at a rate of AED6,000 a month or AED72,000 a year.
UAE employment targets
In a fresh reminder the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has today issued a new ministerial resolution dictating the correct recruitment and job advertisement rules.
It said: “The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) issued Ministerial Resolution No. 663 of 2022 regarding compliance with Emiratisation regulations in the private sector.
“It specifies compliance with Emiratisation systems, job advertisements, employer obligations when recruiting UAE nationals, provision of appropriate workplace and tools to Emirati employees, and related fines and penalties.
“Expanding Emiratisation in the country requires regulating all aspects and components. We are keen to specify the duties and obligations of all parties, set laws to regulate recently observed violations through intensifying inspection visits, define necessary measures and ensure that all parties follow them.”
It also clarified three points for employers:
- Companies are prohibited from referring to government policies or their benefits in Emiratisation job advertisements without obtaining a permission from MoHRE
- Misleading advertisements and unskilled job vacancies are banned
- Employers’ obligations are specified when recruiting UAE nationals, appropriate workplace and tools to Emirati employees are required
As per the Nafis initiative, the UAE aims to ensure that 10 percent of the private sector firms are made up of Emiratis by 2026.
The Nafis initiative offers various benefits including the Emirati Salary Support Scheme where UAE citizens will be offered a one-year salary support of up to AED8,000 per month during training and a monthly support of up to AED5,000 will be paid for up to five years for university graduates.
The programme provides UAE citizens specialised in fields such as coders, nurses, and accountants with a top-up on their existing salaries.
Further incentives are offered to companies meeting Emiratisation targets.
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