Number of Emiratis working in private sector reaches 113,000

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, is briefed on Emiratisation drive's success

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, was briefed on the latest achievements of the UAE's Emiratisation campaign on Wednesday. Photo: UAE Presidential CourtShow less

The number of Emiratis working in the private sector reached 113,000 by the end of July, it was announced on Wednesday.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, was briefed on the achievement during a meeting with members of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi.

The council, also known as Nafis, was established in September 2021 to drive the nation's Emiratisation strategy, which aims to ensure 10 per cent of skilled private sector jobs are filled by citizens by the end of 2026.

About 81,000 Emiratis have joined private companies since Nafis was launched. Sheikh Mansour serves as chairman of the federal body.

The latest Emirati employment figures represent a rise of about 13,000 since May 26, when it was announced that the milestone 100,000 mark had been passed.

Sheikh Mansour praised the role of the council in providing opportunities for Emiratis in the private sector, the growth of which is key to the UAE economy.

Encouraging local talent

Companies must increase their Emirati workforce by 1 per cent every six months under the nationwide Emiratisation scheme.

Employers in the UAE with at least 50 members of staff were required to meet a 4 per cent target by the end of 2023.

The Emirati employment rate will increase to 6 per cent by the end of 2024, 8 per cent in 2025 and 10 per cent in 2026.

Last year, the government directed that businesses employing between 20 and 49 people must have at least one Emirati staff member by the end of 2024, and two by the end of 2025, in a further expansion of the Emiratisation campaign.

Emiratis on Emiratisation – in pictures

Abdulla Galadari, an Emirati lawyer and senior partner at Galadari Advocates & Legal Consultants in Dubai. Ruel Pableo for The National

Abir Araki, Emiratisation and nationalisation manager at Cigna Insurance Middle East in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

UAE National Career Fair, World Trade Centre, Downtown, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Young men at the Dubai Islamic Bank stand during the National Career Exhibition in Sharjah. Satish Kumar / The National

Emiratis at the Armed Services stand at a job fair at Adnec. Silvia Razgova / The National

Emirati job seekers and students at the RAK Career Fair in Ras Al Khaimah. Satish Kumar / The National

Young Emiratis at a jobs fair in Fujairah trying to get a foot on the career ladder. Satish Kumar / The National

In March, the UAE approved a Dh6.4 billion budget to boost Emiratisation in the private sector.

In July, President Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the winners of an award recognising outstanding Emiratis in that sector.

Sheikh Mohamed received the 10 winners of the Nafis Awards in the individuals' category for 2023-2024 at Qasr Al Bahr, state news agency Wam reported.

During the reception, he emphasised the UAE leadership's commitment to encouraging national talents to continue excelling in the private sector.

Sheikh Mohamed also highlighted the importance of private institutions in promoting Emirati participation and fostering a culture of excellence and competition in the labour market.