Emiratisation targets for private companies: who is covered and by when

Private companies with 50 or more employees must raise the number of Emiratis in skilled jobs by 2% a year, with 1% due by 30 June and the rest by year end. Companies with 20 to 49 employees in 14 sectors had to hire one Emirati in 2024 and another in 2025. Each missed hire costs a contribution.

What changed. 8 October 2026: first version. From 1 July 2026, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) charges AED 10,000 a month for each missing position in companies with 50 or more employees. From the same date, an Emirati paid less than AED 6,000 a month no longer counts toward the targets.

Is my company covered?

The 14 sectors for smaller companies include information and communications, finance and insurance, real estate, professional and technical activities, education, healthcare, construction, wholesale and retail, transport and storage, and hospitality, among others. Check the full list with MoHRE.

The 2026 timeline for companies with 50 or more employees

The programme behind these targets aims to raise the Emiratisation rate to 10% by the end of 2026.

Healthcare. A June 2026 amendment requires private healthcare facilities to split their 2% equally between specialised healthcare jobs and other skilled jobs.

What it costs to miss a target

MoHRE allows the contributions for smaller companies to be paid in instalments.

Getting around the targets is fined separately. Cutting staff numbers or changing job classifications to dodge the targets is fined AED 100,000 the first time, AED 300,000 the second time and AED 500,000 the third time.

What makes an Emirati hire count

Three conditions are clear from MoHRE's statements:

1. A skilled job, for companies with 50 or more employees. The target is growth in Emiratis in skilled positions.
2. A salary of at least AED 6,000 a month. From 1 July 2026, a lower salary means the person does not count.
3. A real, continuing job. Changing classifications or numbers to get around the targets is a violation.

One more obligation sits alongside the targets. MoHRE says companies must register Emirati employees with the pension and social security system within one month of the work permit being issued.

A worked example

The numbers are made up to show how to plan.

A company has 150 employees, of whom 100 are in skilled jobs. Two percent of 100 is two. The company plans for about one more Emirati in a skilled job by 30 June and another by year end. MoHRE's own system confirms the exact number required, so check it there before you plan.

If the company misses one position from 1 July, it faces AED 10,000 a month for that position, which is AED 120,000 over a full year. If one of its existing Emirati employees is still paid AED 5,500 a month, that person stopped counting on 1 July 2026. Raising the salary may be cheaper than finding a new hire.

How to track your position

1. Confirm your category. Check your headcount and sector on MoHRE's records, not only in your own files.
2. List your skilled jobs and the Emiratis in them.
3. Check every Emirati salary against the AED 6,000 minimum.
4. Check pension registration for every Emirati employee.
5. Put the dates in the calendar: 30 June and year end, with reminders a quarter ahead.
6. Recruit early. Start each search months before the deadline it is meant to meet.
7. Keep evidence: contracts, salary payments through the Wage Protection System, and pension registration.

How Tarleaks helps

Tarleaks HR shows a live count of Emirati employees as a share of active staff, against a 2 percent reference line, and records whether each person is registered on Nafis. That is a headcount view, not MoHRE's skilled-jobs calculation, so take your official position from MoHRE. Payroll charges pension contributions for UAE nationals and builds the salary file for the Wage Protection System.

What to do next

• Check your status in MoHRE's system now, before the year-end deadline.
• Review every Emirati salary against AED 6,000 this month.
• Read our UAE WPS payroll guide to keep salary payments clean.
• Employing people in Saudi Arabia too? Read Nitaqat bands in 2026.
• Book a demo to see HR tracking with sample data.

Questions people ask

Which companies must meet Emiratisation targets?

Private companies with 50 or more employees, and companies with 20 to 49 employees in 14 specified sectors.

What is the Emiratisation target for 2026?

Companies with 50 or more employees must raise Emiratis in skilled jobs by 1% by 30 June and by 2% by the end of the year.

How much is the Emiratisation contribution in 2026?

MoHRE said it would charge companies with 50 or more employees that miss their targets AED 10,000 a month, or AED 120,000 a year, for each position not filled by an Emirati, from 1 July 2026.

Does an Emirati with a low salary still count?

From 1 July 2026, an Emirati whose salary has not been raised to the AED 6,000 monthly minimum does not count toward the targets.

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General information, not legal advice. Checked against the official sources listed on this page on 8 October 2026. Your official position is the one MoHRE's systems show.