Emiratisation targets expanded to smaller establishments

At a glance

• On 11 July 2023, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) confirmed that more companies and individual establishments would need to abide by the Emiratisation targets.

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Update: 24 September 2024

Following a Cabinet decision to expand Emiratisation targets, with financial penalties for non-compliance, MOHRE have advised companies with 20-49 employees to avoid delaying until the end of 2024 to hire an Emirati citizen. 

The targets now also apply to those companies and individual establishments who employee between 20 to 49 people (Small Establishments), across 14 key economic sectors. Therefore, companies with 19 or less employees are not caught by these changes.

The Small Establishments must hire at least one UAE citizen in 2024 and one UAE citizen in 2025.

If the Small Establishments do not abide by these obligations, fines will be imposed. In January 2025, a fine of AED96,000 will be imposed on Small Establishments that do not comply with the obligation in 2024. In January 2026, the fine increases to AED108,000 for those who do not comply with the obligation in 2025.

The new obligations on Small Establishments will be implemented in parallel with the existing obligations on companies employing 50 or more employees, who have to increase the number of Emiratis working in their organisation by 1% every six months.