The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has urged private companies with 50 or more employees to meet their 2026 Emiratization targets before the December 31 deadline, and called on employers to speed up hiring.
Companies covered by the rules must raise the share of Emiratis in skilled jobs by a further 1% in the second half of 2026, the ministry said on Friday.
That builds on the first-half target and brings the required increase for the full year to 2%, Gulf News reported.
Hiring through Nafis
The ministry encouraged employers to use Nafis, the federal program for Emirati employment in the private sector, to find candidates.
It asked companies to post vacancies on the platform and use its tools to contact candidates directly.
The Nafis program has been extended until 2040.
The ministry praised companies that met their targets for the first half of the year.
Compliance rules
The ministry said companies must provide genuine jobs to Emiratis, register them in the applicable pension and social security systems, and pay their wages in line with approved procedures.
It urged Emiratis to reject fictitious jobs and to report violations through its call center at 600590000, its website or its smart app.
