Emiratisation

Emiratisation is the UAE's program requiring private companies with 50 or more employees to raise Emirati representation in skilled roles, rising roughly two percentage points a year toward 10% by the end of 2026, backed by the Nafis support program and financial penalties for missing targets.

Emirati job seekers are in structurally high demand in covered roles, with Nafis salary support supplementing private-sector packages. For expats, the program shapes which roles employers can open to foreign hires and adds urgency to headcount planning around the June and December compliance deadlines, which is when quota-driven hiring spikes. Smaller companies in selected sectors carry lighter obligations. Targets and penalties are revised; MOHRE is the official source. CV context in the UAE guide.

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