The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has appealed to private companies to implement the emiratisation plan by December 31, 2024. Business representatives who violate this requirement will face a fine of AED 96K (USD 26K) for each Emirati citizen they have not employed.
Organizations with 50 or more employees are expected to increase the number of UAE citizens working in qualified positions by 2% in 2024. Companies with 20-49 employees are required to employ at least one UAE citizen per year and retain previously hired local residents until January 1, 2025. Currently, 124,000 citizens of the country work in 23,000 private sector companies.
MoHRE carefully monitors fictitious employment attempts of UAE residents and other fraudulent activities. For this, companies face legal liability, including reclassification in the system of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and referral of the case to the court. Violations can be reported through the agency's website or application, as well as by calling the hotline number 600590000.
Businesses are encouraged to use the Nafis special preferential program, pay salaries to UAE citizens through the WPS system, and register such employees in the country's pension and social systems.