UAE sets Dh6,000 minimum wage for Emiratis in private sector

Increase of Dh1,000 to take effect from January 1, ministry says

More than 152,000 Emiratis are working in the private sector. The National

Emiratis working in the private sector are to receive a minimum salary of Dh6,000 ($1,633) from January 1, 2026, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said.

Emirati employees in the private sector were previously paid a minimum salary of Dh5,000. That rate took effect from January 1 this year.

In a post on social media, the ministry wrote: "The new minimum wage requirement will apply to all citizen work permit services, including the issuance, renewal and amendment of Emirati work permits.

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“We will send notifications through our service channels and the ministry’s smart application, informing employers about the new minimum wage for Emiratis in the private sector."

It will no longer be permitted to print or submit Emirati work permit applications, whether for issuance, renewal, or amendment, if the stated salary is below Dh6,000.

“Applications will be flagged with a note requiring a salary adjustment,” the ministry added.

If an Emirati employee’s salary is not adjusted by June 30, additional measures are to take effect from July, it said. “These include excluding the Emirati employee from Emiratisation quota calculations until the salary is corrected and imposing a restriction on the establishment that prevents the issuance of new permits due to citizen salaries being below Dh6,000.”

The ministry confirmed that the minimum wage increase applies only to the two-year work permit for Emiratis, whether new, renewed or amended.

Final stage of Emiratisation

The UAE is set to enter a pivotal year in its Emiratisation initiative, with companies required to hit a 10 per cent employment rate for citizens by the end of 2026. In July this year, the number of Emiratis working in the private sector passed 152,000, after a major national push.

UAE citizens are employed across six main economic sectors, the ministry said. These are business services, financial intermediation, trade, repair services, construction and manufacturing.

The programme was introduced in September 2021 with the aim of ensuring 10 per cent of all jobs in the private sector are taken up by citizens by the end of 2026. Companies were to increase their Emirati workforce by 1 per cent every six months as part of the drive.