Updated 2026-07
UAE Emiratisation Compliance Index 2026
Who has to Emiratise, at what target, and at what penalty — by company size, with official u.ae figures.
In 2026, companies with 50+ employees must Emiratise 10% of their skilled workforce or face AED 9,000 per month for each unfilled skilled position. Firms with 20–49 employees in 14 designated sectors must have hired two Emiratis by end-2025 or face AED 108,000 in January 2026. Firms under 20 employees have no federal target. The Emirati minimum wage is AED 6,000/month from January 2026. Every figure is from u.ae.
Compliance by Company Size
| Company size | Emiratisation target | Non-compliance penalty (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 20 employees | No federal Emiratisation target | None |
| 20–49 employees (14 designated sectors) | Hire at least 1 UAE national by end-2024, and at least 2 by end-2025 (Ministerial Resolution 455/2023) | AED 108,000 in January 2026 for failing to hire two Emiratis in 2025 (a single annual contribution for the shortfall) |
| 50 or more employees (MOHRE-registered) | 10% of the SKILLED workforce by end-2026, rising 2 percentage points a year | AED 9,000 per month for each unfilled skilled position |
Key Reference Figures
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Emirati private-sector minimum wage | AED 6,000/month | Effective 1 January 2026 |
| Which workforce counts | Skilled roles only (MOHRE skill levels 1–5) | The 10% target is of the skilled workforce, not total headcount |
| MOHRE work permit | AED 250–3,450 | By company classification A / B / C |
| How compliance is checked | Periodic MOHRE assessment | Non-compliance also risks work-permit suspension and a MOHRE classification downgrade |
Official source: u.ae — Emiratis' employment in the private sector (verified 2026-07-17).
Exact Emiratisation Answers
- What is the Emiratisation target for 2026?
- Companies with 50 or more employees must reach 10% Emiratisation of their SKILLED workforce (MOHRE skill levels 1–5) by the end of 2026, with the target rising 2 percentage points a year.
- What is the Emiratisation fine in 2026?
- For 50+ employee firms, AED 9,000 per month for each unfilled skilled position (up from AED 6,000 in 2023, rising AED 1,000 a year). For 20–49 employee firms in the 14 designated sectors, AED 108,000 in January 2026 as a single annual contribution for the shortfall.
- Do companies with 20–49 employees have an Emiratisation requirement?
- Yes, if they operate in one of the 14 designated sectors (Ministerial Resolution 455/2023): they must hire at least one UAE national by end-2024 and at least two by end-2025. Non-compliance carries AED 108,000 in January 2026.
- Is the 10% Emiratisation target based on total or skilled headcount?
- It is 10% of the SKILLED workforce (MOHRE skill levels 1–5, salary from AED 4,000/month), not 10% of total headcount — a common and costly misreading.
- What is the minimum wage for Emiratis in the private sector?
- AED 6,000 per month, effective 1 January 2026 (u.ae).
- Are free-zone companies exempt from Emiratisation?
- No official source states free zones are exempt. The targets are addressed to MOHRE-registered (mainland) firms; if you operate in a free zone, confirm your status with MOHRE rather than assuming exemption.
Notes & Methodology
- The AED 9,000/month figure for 2026 is derived, not printed by u.ae: contributions began at AED 6,000/month in 2023 and rise by AED 1,000 a year until 2026 (→ 9,000). If that schedule is restated, re-derive.
- The 20–49 penalty is a single annual contribution for the shortfall (u.ae verbatim: 'AED 108,000 in January 2026 for failing to hire two Emiratis in 2025') — it is NOT the 50+ tier's per-position monthly rate multiplied out.
- Free-zone exemption is NOT officially stated: the targets are addressed to MOHRE-registered (mainland) firms, but no official page declares free zones exempt. Confirm your status with MOHRE rather than assuming exemption.
- The Nafis programme supports the salaries of Emiratis in the private sector, but its top-up ceiling is not published by nafis.gov.ae, so no figure is stated here. Figures verified against u.ae as of 2026-07; confirm current targets and penalties with MOHRE.
Open Data — Download & Cite
This index is published under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY 4.0). Reuse the figures in your research, article or site — all we ask is attribution with a link back to ZETUP.
How to cite
ZETUP PRO Corporate Services. (2026). UAE Emiratisation Compliance Index 2026. Retrieved from https://zetup.ae/en/uae-emiratisation-compliance-indexWhere Does Your Company Stand?
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