There has been a surge in private companies seeking to hire Emiratis in recent months, a recruitment specialist has said, as the latest Emiratisation deadline approaches.
Companies with at least 50 employees are required to ensure UAE citizens make up at least 9 per cent of their workforce by June 30 – an increase of one percentage point since the previous deadline six months ago. The Emiratisation scheme, also known as Nafis, was introduced in 2021 to ensure Emiratis make up 10 per cent of the private sector workforce by the end of this year.
David Mackenzie, group managing director of Mackenzie Jones, said his company has noticed a sharp rise in interest in Emirati talent among private companies this year.
“We have seen a 130 per cent increase in demand from companies looking for Emirati talent across different sectors,” he said. “The demand will go up even more this year as companies work to achieve their targets.”
Mr Mackenzie advised businesses to focus on developing Emirati professionals at all levels, rather than concentrating on entry-level recruitment.
“The new generation of Emiratis wants to work in the private sector, but companies should adopt career development pathways and training programmes as motivation for them to continue and grow in this vital sector,” he said.
He added that an increasing number of employers are recognising the long-term business benefits of hiring citizens.
“Companies should not hire Emiratis only to meet targets. They should hire them to grow their business. Emiratis offer long-term workforce stability because they are building their careers in their home country and more likely to remain with organisations for longer periods,” he said.
“Expatriates sometimes go home, while Emiratis do not. They live in their country and can stay longer than expats.”
Paying the price
Companies that fail to meet the Emiratisation deadline face heavy penalties, said Aisha Al Mansoori of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
“We will begin imposing financial contributions on non-compliant companies. It is Dh60,000 [$16,337] for each position they fail to fill with an Emirati,” she said.
“It is a national priority to strengthen the competitiveness of Emiratis in a stable and attractive environment in the private sector.”
She also warned companies against bending the rules to avoid paying fines, and noted that there are systems in place to identify “fake Emiratisation”.
In August last year, authorities announced that more than 400 such cases had been identified.
Companies found in breach of Emiratisation rules face fines between Dh20,000 and Dh100,000 for each case. They may also be referred to prosecutors, depending on the severity of the offence.
The number of Emiratis working for private companies in the UAE has reached 176,000, including 152,000 who have joined since the Nafis programme was introduced.
Talent required
One private company that has already achieved its midyear target is NMC Healthcare.
“We have 958 UAE nationals across NMC and will continue to attract and recruit Emirati talent across both clinical and non-clinical specialities to ensure achievement of our second half of 2026 Emiratisation targets,” Zainab Abdul Ameer, the company’s vice president of Emiratisation, told The National.
However, she added, while Emirati participation has increased across the health sector, some highly specialised fields continue to face talent shortages.
“These include areas such as speech therapy, specialised physiotherapy disciplines and paediatric neurology,” Ms Abdul Ameer said.
Recruiting and retaining Emiratis in specialist clinical roles remains challenging due to a limited talent pool, demanding shift patterns and concerns over career progression, she added. However, despite the challenges, Emiratis entering the healthcare sector are demonstrating strong potential.
“We are seeing increasing numbers of Emiratis pursuing healthcare careers across both clinical and non-clinical disciplines, supported by improved educational pathways and targeted development programmes,” Ms Abdul Ameer said.
“Many Emirati professionals show significant potential when provided with structured development opportunities, mentoring and exposure to diverse healthcare environments.”
Employers need to stand out to be an attractive prospect to Emirati talent, said another expert.
“Demand for Emirati talent is high, particularly in technology, AI and engineering. Our response has been to develop talent rather than compete for an already limited pool,” said Barbara Pel, vice president of enterprise excellence and people for Abu Dhabi-based AI company Inception.
“As a UAE-headquartered company, supporting Emiratisation means creating roles with real career trajectories, not just filling headcount.”
