Private healthcare companies in the UAE are now obliged to ensure at least 50 per cent of new Emirati recruits are employed in specialised roles, including doctors and nurses.
A new directive was issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) states that private healthcare providers that employ at least 50 people must split new roles for Emiratis equally between specialised professionals and other skilled jobs in departments such as administration, human resources and finance.
The Ministry of Health's directory has dozens of roles defined as highly specialised. These include physicians, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, therapists, nutritionists, radiographers and paramedics.
“Modifying the targeted skilled jobs to include specialised healthcare professionals follows a comprehensive evaluation of private healthcare jobs, conducted in collaboration with partners across the sector,” said Farida Al Ali, assistant undersecretary of national talents at MoHRE.
The new measure aims to support and empower Emiratis, enhance their presence in healthcare jobs, and ensure their sustainability by supplying the sector with specialised healthcare professionals from the UAE who seek stability, job security, and professional development.
“I call on all healthcare facilities to assess their current situation and set clear plans to comply with the new targets,” Ms Al Ali said.
“Healthcare facilities that have already achieved the 1 per cent growth in skilled jobs required for the first half of this year, should work towards achieving the 1 per cent growth in the Emiratisation rates of their healthcare jobs by the end of the year.”
She urged healthcare centres to post their job vacancies on the Nafis platform to access the registered national talent pool.
Abdullah Ahli, acting assistant undersecretary for the support services sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, said the decision is part of government efforts to strengthen the presence of Emirati talent in the private healthcare sector.
“The initiative supports wider national efforts to enhance the attractiveness of healthcare professions to Emiratis, while encouraging private healthcare providers to recruit, empower, and retain national talent across the sector,” Mr Ahli said.
“Allocating 50 per cent of annual Emiratisation targets within private healthcare establishments to healthcare-related roles forms part of a wider government strategy to expand the participation of UAE nationals across the healthcare workforce.”
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation will start monitoring compliance by healthcare centres with the new amendment at the beginning of next year.
According to official figures from the ministry, there were more than 8,800 Emiratis working in the private healthcare sector by the end of last year, 82 per cent of whom were women.
