Some Emiratisation figures are widely republished after they have been superseded, and some are two different rules being read as one. This page records what we have found, and where we have not been able to reach an answer.
- Why this page exists
- 1 · AED 4,000 and AED 6,000 are two different tests
- 2 · The contribution from 1 July 2026 is AED 10,000
- 3 · Nafis salary support for a bachelor’s degree is AED 6,000
- 4 · The pension split, 12.5% and 2.5% are both right
- 5 · “Free zones are exempt” is imprecise
- 6 · The 2026 target is a growth rate, not a flat percentage
- 7 · “Cabinet Resolution 44 of 2024” is a misattribution
- 8 · The fake Emiratisation penalty figures are all correct
- What we have not resolved
- Corrections
Checked August 2026
Part of the full Emiratisation compliance guide.
Why this page exists
Emiratisation figures change. Most published guidance is written from other people’s summaries rather than from the source, so when a figure moves, the old number keeps circulating.
Preparing this reference, we compared several detailed published analyses. They disagreed with each other on the monthly contribution, on Nafis salary support, on which instrument set the annual growth requirement, and on the pension split. One expanded an official acronym incorrectly and then built a section on it.
None were careless documents. They were all working from the same pool of secondary sources.
We are not immune to this. We have corrected ourselves during this project more than once. Every entry below can be checked against the sources we list. See how we check.
1 · AED 4,000 and AED 6,000 are two different tests
What you will read: that the skilled-role salary threshold is AED 4,000. Also: that AED 4,000 is out of date and the figure is now AED 6,000.
What we found: both figures are current and they do different jobs.
| Threshold | What it decides | Applies to | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled classification | AED 4,000 excluding commission | Whether a role is skilled, your denominator | Any employee |
| Counting toward target | AED 6,000 | Whether an Emirati is credited, your numerator | Emirati employees, from 1 July 2026 |
The published definition of skilled work, on the UAE Government portal, still requires occupational level 1 to 5, an attested qualification above secondary, and monthly salary of at least AED 4,000 excluding commission.
Separately, the minimum salary for Emiratis rose AED 4,000 to AED 5,000 to AED 6,000, and from 1 July 2026 an Emirati below AED 6,000 does not count toward the target.
Why it matters: an employer who reads the skilled-worker definition, sees AED 4,000, and concludes an Emirati on AED 4,500 counts is wrong. That employee stays in the denominator but drops out of the numerator, so the compliance position gets worse, not better. See what counts as a skilled role.
2 · The contribution from 1 July 2026 is AED 10,000
What you will read: AED 9,000 per month. Also AED 10,000. Also AED 108,000 and AED 120,000 a year.
What we found: MOHRE stated ahead of the June 2026 deadline that companies failing to comply face contributions from 1 July of AED 10,000 per month, AED 120,000 annually, per Emirati not hired. The contribution is part of a phased approach that began at AED 6,000 a month.
Guidance written at different points in the escalation often does not say which period it describes. For exposure from July 2026, use AED 10,000. See the Emiratisation fine in 2026.
3 · Nafis salary support for a bachelor’s degree is AED 6,000
What you will read: up to AED 7,000, or up to AED 8,000.
What we found: the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council announced a revised framework in April 2026 alongside the extension of Nafis to 2040. Maximum monthly support is AED 6,000 for bachelor’s degree holders, AED 5,000 for diploma, AED 4,000 for secondary, effective September 2026 for new beneficiaries.
Existing beneficiaries transition over up to three years, so an article quoting an older figure may still describe someone’s actual position. See Nafis salary support.
4 · The pension split, 12.5% and 2.5% are both right
What you will read: that the employer pays 12.5%. Also that the government contributes 2.5%. Also that employers are “taking on 12.5%” from September 2026.
What we found: under the legacy framework the total is 20%: employee 5%, employer statutory share 15%, of which the government contributes 2.5% in support of Emiratisation, leaving employers funding 12.5%.
Two pension laws apply depending on when the person was first covered by GPSSA: Federal Law No. 7 of 1999 for those covered before 31 October 2023, and Federal Decree-Law No. 57 of 2023 for those covered from that date. Under the newer law the total is 26%, with the employee contributing 11%.
From September 2026 the support is being withdrawn for the relevant cohort, increasing employer cost. The exact post-September position is (unconfirmed at the time of writing).
5 · “Free zones are exempt” is imprecise
What you will read: free zone companies are exempt from Emiratisation.
What we found: free zone companies are outside the scope of MOHRE’s quotas because they register with their free zone authority. That is a position arising from jurisdiction, not a statutory exemption. Several free zones are progressively aligning practices with mainland standards.
What almost nothing mentions: with a dual licence, the mainland entity is assessed on its own registered workforce, and only employees on the mainland MOHRE register count. See Emiratisation and free zones.
6 · The 2026 target is a growth rate, not a flat percentage
What you will read: companies must reach 10% Emiratisation.
What we found: the requirement is a two percentage point annual increase in the Emiratisation rate of skilled roles. The 10% figure is where that growth arrives by the end of 2026.
A second, more expensive version of the same error: applying the percentage to total headcount rather than skilled roles. Different denominators. See Emiratisation targets for 2026.
7 · “Cabinet Resolution 44 of 2024” is a misattribution
What you will read: that the 20 to 49 employee rule was created by Cabinet Resolution No. 44 of 2024.
What we found: the operative instrument is Ministerial Resolution No. 455 of 2023. Cabinet Resolution No. 44 of 2023 is a separate instrument concerning penalties for circumventing targets.
You will also see Ministerial Resolution No. 279 of 2022 described as a Cabinet Resolution. It is a Ministerial Resolution.
8 · The fake Emiratisation penalty figures are all correct
What you will read: AED 20,000. Or AED 100,000. Or AED 500,000. Or AED 1 million.
What we found: all four are right, for different things: per worker, per establishment, and criminal. See fake Emiratisation and penalties.
An employer quoted “AED 500,000” for a single mis-registered employee is being given an establishment-level circumvention figure.
What we have not resolved
These remain open. We would rather show you where the published guidance stops than fill the gap.
Whether the AED 6,000 minimum is assessed on basic salary or total contractual salary. MOHRE’s announcement says “minimum salary” without addressing the distinction. Notably, when the government defines a skilled worker it specifies “excluding commission”, deliberately precise drafting that the AED 6,000 announcement does not carry (unconfirmed at the time of writing).
How part-time employees are treated in the calculation. No published guidance identified (unconfirmed at the time of writing).
Whether probationary employees count from the start of employment. No published provision excluding them has been identified, but day-one counting is not expressly stated either (unconfirmed at the time of writing).
The annual contribution for the 2026 assessment for establishments with 20 to 49 employees. AED 96,000 applied to the 2024 target and AED 108,000 to the 2025 target. No 2026 figure has been published (unconfirmed at the time of writing).
The target schedule for 2027 onward (unconfirmed at the time of writing).
Corrections
If you have an official reference for anything marked unconfirmed, or you think we have got something wrong, tell us. Corrections are made with their date, and we credit the person who sent them.
Read next: How we check, our verification method in full.
Last checked August 2026 · Sources: official platforms
