UAE sets June 30 as new 2023 Emiratisation deadline

The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MoHRE) said June 30 is the deadline for private sector companies with 50 or more employees to meet their six-month emiratization target – set at 1% of skilled jobs.

Authorities reminded non-compliant companies that they would face a semi-annual fine of $11,435 (Dh42,000) for every Emirati they fail to employ. The announcement is in line with the revision of parts of the provisions of Cabinet Resolution No. (19/5m) of 2022 on the Mechanism to Achieve Annual Emirate Growth Targets.

It stipulates that the emirate’s growth of 1% should be completed by the end of June, and the annual growth target of 2% should be achieved by the end of the year.

Last year, the UAE government directed employers to ensure that 2 percent of their workforce is Emirati by the end of 2022, and then increase the proportion of Emirati in the workforce by 1 percent every six months.

MOHRE announces June 30 deadline #Private Sector Companies with 50 or more employees to meet their semi-annual emiratization target, set at 1% skilled work #WamNews https://t.co/Sd90ALnI2S pic.twitter.com/igV7no5kAK

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) April 26, 2023

Aisha Belharfia, Acting Undersecretary for Emiratisation and Assistant Undersecretary for Labour, Aisha Belharfia stressed the importance of companies achieving their half-yearly Emiratisation target growth to avoid fines. She called on private sector companies to benefit from the support provided by Nafis to hire Emirati talent for technical jobs.

“The success of Emiratization efforts depends on expanding the private sector’s job vacancies open to Emiratis and creating a safety net that supports their career paths. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation supports good companies that train and hire Emiratis in line with Nafis’ goals,” Belharfia added.

UAE promotes Emiratisation

Meanwhile, in early April, MoHRE said Emiratization continued to achieve extraordinary results, with an 11% increase in the first three months of 2023 compared to the same period last year.

read: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed reviews NAFIS 2022 results and 2023 Emiratisation target

Since the beginning of 2023, more than 10,500 Emiratis have joined the private sector, bringing the total number of Emirati employees in the private sector to more than 66,000, the MoHRE said.

A 13% increase in the number of private sector companies employing Emirati nationals in the first quarter of 2023 compared to 2022, and a 13% increase in the number of Emirati private sector employees as the total number of companies employing Emirati nationals has exceeded 16,000 to date .

Earlier on 30 June 2023, the MoHRE said: “We expect a stronger cadence of Emiratis hiring over the next two months as private companies with 50 or more employees meet their semi-annual Emiratisation target of 1%. The deadline is June 30, 2023,” a statement in early April.

The latest figures from the ministry show that the five industries employing the most Emiratis in the first quarter of 2023 are business services, business and maintenance services, construction, financial brokerage and manufacturing.

The UAE launched a new initiative called the “Industrial Plan” in March to boost local capabilities and promote Emiratisation of the industrial sector.

read: UAE MoHRE fines firms for failing to meet 2022 Emiratisation target