In 2026, mainland private-sector companies with 50 or more employees must raise Emirati representation in skilled roles by two percentage points, one by 30 June and one by 31 December, reaching 10% by year end. Missing it costs AED 10,000 per unfilled position per month from 1 July. Emirati employees must be paid at least AED 6,000 a month.
Source: MOHRE, ETCC · Checked August 2026
Part of the full Emiratisation compliance guide.
The 2026 position
| Who | Mainland private sector, 50+ employees |
| What | Two percentage points in Emirati share of skilled roles |
| When | 1 point by 30 June, 1 point by 31 December |
| Cumulative | 10% of skilled roles by end of 2026 |
| Contribution from 1 July | AED 10,000 per position per month |
| Minimum salary, Emiratis | AED 6,000/month |
What changed in 2026
Four things, and 2026 is unusually dense.
1 January, the minimum salary rose to AED 6,000. For new, renewed and amended work permits. Employers with Emiratis already on payroll had until 30 June 2026 to bring salaries up to the threshold. See minimum salary for Emirati employees.
1 July, employees below the minimum stopped counting. Emirati employees earning below AED 6,000 are excluded from Emiratisation target calculations, and new work permits can be suspended until salaries comply. This is the change with the most operational bite and the least coverage.
1 July, the contribution reached AED 10,000 a month. The phased approach began at AED 6,000 in earlier stages. See the Emiratisation fine in 2026.
September, Nafis reset. Salary support tiers change, with a maximum of AED 6,000 for bachelor’s degree holders. The child allowance cap is removed. A new spousal support scheme begins. Employers take on more of the pension cost. See Nafis salary support.
Announced April 2026, Nafis extended to 2040.
Is Emiratisation actually a law?
Emiratisation is a framework of Cabinet and Ministerial decisions sitting under the UAE Labour Law, rather than a single statute called “the Emiratisation law.”
People search for it as a law because it behaves like one: binding, dated and enforced. But there is no single document to read, and the obligations come from several instruments issued at different times. That is part of why published guidance drifts so easily.
What happens if you miss the target
The contribution: AED 10,000 per unfilled position per month from 1 July 2026, running while the position stays unfilled.
Establishment classification consequences, which affect work permit fees on every subsequent hire.
Government procurement effects.
In the other direction: establishments that exceed targets qualify for the Emiratisation Partners Club, with discounts of up to 80% on MOHRE service fees and procurement priority.
The three mistakes to avoid this year
Calculating on total headcount. Fifty is the scope threshold; the target uses skilled roles.
Confusing the two salary thresholds. AED 4,000 decides whether a role is skilled. AED 6,000 decides whether an Emirati counts toward your target. Both are current. See our fact check.
Treating 30 June as the end of it. A further point is due by 31 December, from the higher base. See Emiratisation targets for 2026.
What comes after 2026
2026 is the final year of the current target cycle. Nafis running to 2040 signals a long horizon rather than a scheme winding down. The target schedule for 2027 onward has not been published (unconfirmed at the time of writing).
Read next: How to calculate Emiratisation, because the law only becomes actionable once you know your own number.
Last checked August 2026 · Sources: official platforms
