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How many Emiratis do you need to hire, and what does missing the target cost?
Checked against MOHRE rules · reviewed 1 Oct 2026 · next review 15 Jan 2027
For companies with 50 or more employees, the target is a percentage of skilled jobs (MOHRE skill levels 1 to 5), not of all staff. Multiply your skilled headcount by the target for the next deadline (9% by 30 June 2026, 10% by 31 December 2026) and round up to get the Emiratis you need. Subtract the Emiratis who already count to get your gap. The estimated contribution is the gap multiplied by the last confirmed rate of AED 108,000 per missing Emirati. Companies with 20 to 49 employees in the 14 covered activities instead need a fixed number of Emirati hires.
Targets and estimated contributions for typical companies, worked out with the same rules the calculator uses.
| Company | Skilled staff | Emiratis now | Needed | Gap | Est. yearly contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trading company, 50+ staff | 60 | 3 | 6 | 3 | AED 324,000 |
| Consultancy, 50+ staff | 120 | 6 | 12 | 6 | AED 648,000 |
| Hotel group, 50+ staff | 400 | 40 | 40 | 0 | AED 0 |
| Software firm, 35 staff | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | AED 108,000 |
50+ staff: 10% of skilled staff by 31 December 2026, rounded up. 20–49 staff: 2 Emirati hires (2024 + 2025). Contribution at AED 108,000 per missing Emirati (2025 rate).
Post the roles you need free on MenaJobs and say "UAE nationals preferred" in the description. Write the ad with our job description generator, check it with the job ad grader, and send the offer with the offer letter generator. Hiring in Saudi Arabia too? See the Saudized jobs list.
Private companies with 50 or more employees must raise the share of Emiratis in skilled jobs by 2 percentage points a year, checked twice a year: 1% by 30 June and another 1% by 31 December. That puts the cumulative target at 9% by 30 June 2026 and 10% by 31 December 2026. MOHRE has not announced targets for 2027 onwards yet, so this calculator stops at the 10% target.
Companies that miss the target pay a financial contribution for each Emirati they should have hired. MOHRE confirmed AED 108,000 per missing Emirati for the 2025 targets (collected from January 2026). The 2026 amount has not been officially confirmed, so the calculator uses the last confirmed rate and labels the result as an estimate. For 20–49 staff companies the 2024 shortfall was charged at AED 96,000.
Only if they work in one of 14 economic activities, including information and communications, finance and insurance, real estate, professional and technical services, education, healthcare, construction, wholesale and retail, transport and warehousing, and hospitality. Those companies had to hire one Emirati in 2024 and another in 2025, and must keep them employed. A further hire for 2026 has not been officially confirmed. Companies with fewer than 20 employees have no target.
An Emirati counts when they work in a skilled job (MOHRE skill levels 1 to 5), are paid through the Wages Protection System and are registered for pension and social security. From 1 January 2026 the minimum salary for Emiratis in the private sector is AED 6,000 a month; since 1 July 2026, Emiratis paid below it no longer count and new work permits are suspended until salaries comply.
Nafis is the federal programme that supports Emiratis working in the private sector. After its September 2026 update, the published maximum monthly salary top-ups for new beneficiaries are AED 6,000 with a bachelor's degree, AED 5,000 with a diploma and AED 4,000 with a high-school certificate; the actual amount depends on salary and eligibility. The programme now runs to 2040. Nafis support goes to the employee, but it makes Emirati hires more affordable to retain.
MOHRE does not publish its rounding rule, so we round up: 75 skilled employees at 10% gives 7.5, which we show as 8 Emiratis. Rounding up gives you a plan that is safe either way. Your MOHRE dashboard shows the exact figure MOHRE uses for your company.
Post your roles free in about 2 minutes and say in the description which nationality you prefer. We review every post; once approved it goes live to job seekers across the GCC.
Post a nationals-preferred roleEmiratisation Checker for 20–49 Staff
Is your 20–49 staff company in one of the 14 covered activities? See the Emiratis you need.
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Open toolAll nationalities. Your MOHRE dashboard shows this figure.
Only Emiratis in skilled jobs, paid at least AED 6,000 through WPS and registered for pension count.
Nafis salary support
Skilled Emiratisation position
9% was due at the last checkpoint
AED 108,000 per missing Emirati per year (2025 rate)
Checked against MOHRE rules · reviewed 1 Oct 2026 · next review 15 Jan 2027Sources: MOHRE — Emiratisation targets (private sector, 50+ and 20–49 staff) · MOHRE — 2025 targets due 31 December; AED 108,000 per missing Emirati · MOHRE — Emiratisation targets for 20–49 staff companies in 14 sectors · MOHRE — Emirati minimum wage AED 6,000 from 1 January 2026 · MOHRE — Pension registration of Emirati employees mandatory to count · ETCC — Nafis programme updates after extension to 2040 (KPMG summary) (secondary)
Your gap: 6 Emirati roles before 31 Dec 2026.
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