UAE ministry issues final deadline for Emiratisation to private sector

Abdulrahman Saeed, Staff Reporter

The Emirati Talent Competitiveness Programme (Nafis) has revealed that the number of private companies registered with it has increased by 28 per cent since beginning of 2024 or within 5 and months.

Currently, 17,236 private companies are registered with the programme, which offers citizens multiple jobs in various fields through its website, with 3,728 companies joining since the beginning of 2024. At the start of the year, there were 13,508 companies.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has urged private sector companies employing 50 or more workers to meet their half-yearly Emiratisation targets for 2024, which call for a 1 per cent growth in the number of Emiratis working in skilled jobs in these companies, in line with the relevant Cabinet Resolution.

The Ministry has set June 30, 2024 as the final deadline for achieving Emiratisation targets for the first half of 2024 (H1 2024), noting that starting from 1 July, it will monitor companies’ compliance.

The MoHRE commended companies that have already achieved the required targets, stressing the importance of registering UAE citizens in one of the authorised pension funds, as well as in the Wage Protection System (WPS), calling on companies to ensure they maintain the growth they achieved in Emiratisation targets until June 30.

The Ministry has also called on companies falling short of their Emiratisation targets to benefit from the Nafis platform, which houses data about qualified Emirati nationals seeking employment across various specialisations and who possess the required competencies.

The Ministry further stressed the need for companies to adhere to Emiratisation targets, which are a top priority for the UAE Government, given the role they play in achieving economic growth objectives and the nation’s ambitions for the upcoming period, where the primary focus will be on empowering national human capital

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation called for reporting any violations to its call centre at 600590000 or via its smart application, saying that “Emiratisation targets were set to enhance Emirati citizens’ participation in the job market and their contribution to the country’s economic development, which makes it an important national goal.”

The number of citizens working in the private sector and companies are expected to continue increasing thanks to the continued implementation of the Emiratisation targets for companies employing 50 workers or more. These companies must provide 24,000 job opportunities annually for citizens. They must do this by achieving growth in the Emiratisation of their skilled jobs by 1 per cent every six months. In addition, the Cabinet has decided to expand the base of private enterprises targeted for Emiratisation. This includes companies and individual institutions with 20 to 49 workers in 14 main and specific economic activities. They must hire at least one citizen in a skilled job in 2024 and another citizen in 2025. This would create 12,000 new jobs annually for citizens.