UAE companies urged to meet mid-year Emiratisation goals

The UAE's Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is urging private sector companies with 50 or more employees to meet their Emiratisation targets for the first half of 2025.

These firms must increase the number of UAE nationals in skilled roles by at least 1 per cent of their skilled workforce by June 30.

From July 1, the Ministry will begin verifying compliance, including proper registration of Emirati employees with social security and the timely payment of contributions.

Non-compliant firms may face financial penalties, while those meeting or exceeding targets can benefit from incentives, including membership in the Emiratisation Partners Club, offering discounts of up to 80 per cent on ministry service fees and priority in government procurement.

Farida Al Ali, Assistant Under-Secretary of National Talents at the Ministry, praised the private sector’s strong response, revealing over 136,000 Emiratis are now employed across 28,000 companies, as of April 2025.

She also encouraged companies to tap into the Nafis platform to access a pool of qualified Emirati talent.

To crack down on ‘fake Emiratisation’ and other violations, the Ministry has developed a digital inspection system, which has already flagged around 2,200 companies since mid-2022.

Violations can be reported via the Ministry's call centre at 600590000, its smart app, or the official website.