Mainland private-sector companies with 50 or more employees must increase the share of Emiratis in skilled roles by two percentage points during 2026. One point by 30 June and a further point by 31 December. That brings the cumulative target to 10% of skilled roles by the end of the year.
Source: MOHRE · Checked August 2026
This page covers the targets. For the wider picture, see the full Emiratisation compliance guide.
The 2026 schedule
| Date | What is required |
|---|---|
| 30 June 2026 | 1 percentage point increase in Emiratisation of skilled roles |
| 1 July 2026 | Contributions begin where the first-half target was missed |
| 31 December 2026 | A further 1 percentage point increase |
| End of 2026 | Cumulative 10% of skilled roles |
They are growth targets, not a flat rate
The requirement is expressed as growth in your own Emiratisation rate. Two percentage points a year, split across two halves. The 10% figure is where that growth arrives by the end of 2026.
Two companies of identical size can owe different numbers of hires depending on where each started. There is no national number to look up. Your obligation is calculated from your own skilled-role headcount and your own current representation. See how to calculate Emiratisation.
What is the Emiratisation quota in the UAE?
“Quota” is the everyday word; official material says “target”. They mean the same thing.
Worth knowing when reading government sources, searching MOHRE for “quota” returns far less than searching for “Emiratisation targets” or “Emiratisation rates”.
It applies to skilled roles, not total staff
The 50-employee threshold that brings you into scope uses total registered headcount. The target is calculated against the skilled subset of your roles.
Different denominators, and confusing them almost always understates the gap. A company with 400 employees of whom 60 are skilled is in scope because of the 400 and calculates on the 60. See what counts as a skilled role.
Smaller companies have a different rule
Establishments with 20 to 49 employees in designated sectors have a fixed hiring requirement rather than a percentage. Being under 50 changes the shape of your obligation. It does not remove it. See who has to comply.
The employees who no longer count
From 1 July 2026, Emirati employees earning below AED 6,000 a month are excluded from Emiratisation target calculations.
This is not charged as a penalty. It changes your count, which can put you into shortfall with no change in headcount. A company with five Emirati employees, two of them below the threshold, has three from July.
Note the distinction that catches people out. The published definition of a skilled role uses a salary threshold of AED 4,000. The threshold for an Emirati to count toward your target is AED 6,000. Two different tests, and reading the first as the second produces a false compliance position. See minimum salary for Emirati employees.
What missing the target costs
AED 10,000 per unfilled position per month from 1 July 2026, AED 120,000 a year per position, running while the position stays unfilled. The contribution has risen in stages since 2022, from AED 6,000 a month.
Beyond the money: establishment classification consequences that raise work permit fees on every future hire, and effects on government procurement eligibility. Full detail on the Emiratisation fine in 2026.
What exceeding the target earns
Establishments that exceed their targets qualify for the Emiratisation Partners Club, bringing discounts of up to 80% on MOHRE service fees and priority in government procurement.
For a company with public-sector revenue, that priority is frequently worth more than the contribution it would otherwise have paid.
What people get wrong
Treating 30 June as the finish line. It is the first of two dates. Companies that hit the mid-year point and stop find themselves short in December against a higher bar.
Reading 10% as a share of all staff. It is 10% of skilled roles.
Leaving it to the final weeks. MOHRE has urged companies to act early. Recruitment takes time; assessment dates do not move.
Assuming targets end in 2026. Nafis has been extended to 2040, which signals a long horizon. The target schedule beyond 2026 has not been published (unconfirmed at the time of writing).
Read next: How to calculate Emiratisation, because the target only becomes actionable once you know your own denominator.
Last checked August 2026 · Sources: official platforms
