A deadline of 31 December has been set for the private-sector companies in the UAE that were part of the Emiratisation exercise for the year 2024. These companies, with 20 to 49 employees, have been given time till the end of this year to ensure that they have at least one citizen of the UAE in their workforce.
The order has been passed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). A fine of Dhs 96,000 will be imposed on companies that fail to fulfil their 2024 targets, which will have to be paid in January 2025. The fine for failing to meet 2025 targets will be Dhs 108,000, which will have to paid up in January 2026.
The Cabinet has decided to increase the scope of companies targeted for Emiratisation, in addition to recruiting at least one UAE citizen in 2025.
The Ministry has also directed companies to ensure that all the Emiratis or UAE citizens in their workforce are registered with the country’s pension and social- security systems. The employers have been asked to ensure that the monthly salaries of these employees are processed via the Wage Protection System (WPS).
Employers have also been encouraged by the MoHRE to take advantage of the Nafis programme, which allows them to rely on a talent pool comprising employable Emirati professionals with proper qualifications.
