The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has confirmed that June 30, 2026, is the deadline for private sector companies with 50 or more employees to meet their Emiratisation targets for the first half of the year.
Under current policy, companies are required to achieve a one per cent increase in the Emiratisation rate of skilled jobs by the end of June, with a further one per cent increase required in the second half of the year, bringing the total annual target to two per cent by year-end.
The Ministry says financial penalties will apply from July 1 to companies that fail to meet the required targets.
Businesses were urged to accelerate hiring efforts and make use of the Nafis platform to recruit qualified UAE nationals across a range of specialisations, rather than waiting until the final days before the deadline.
The Ministry also highlighted enhanced inspection and monitoring systems powered by artificial intelligence to detect violations, including 'fake Emiratisation' practices and attempts to bypass targets.
It warned that companies found in breach of regulations could face legal action, lower rankings within the Ministry’s classification system and corrective measures.
The Ministry also called on the public to report violations through its call centre, website, or smart application.
Meanwhile, competitive advantages and benefits await companies that achieve exceptional results in their Emiratisation efforts.
Benefits include enrolling compliant firms as members in the Emiratisation Partners Club, which, in turn, provides them access to financial discounts of up to 80 per cent on MoHRE service fees and gives them priority status in the government procurement system.
Other advantages are also available to members, designed to enable them to benefit from the UAE labour market’s rapid growth across various sectors.
30 June 2026 is the deadline for achieving the Emiratisation targets for the first half of 2026 for private sector companies with 50 employees or more, through achieving a 1% growth in Emirati skilled professions.
— وزارة الموارد البشرية والتوطين (@MOHRE_UAE) May 7, 2026
We encourage you to benefit from the “Nafis” programme platform,… pic.twitter.com/6FV5m9RRHj
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