Nafis: The UAE Programme for Emiratis in Private Sector Jobs

Nafis is the UAE federal programme that supports Emiratis working in the private sector, through monthly salary top-ups, family allowances, pension support, training and a national jobs platform. It is operated under the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council and has been extended to run until 2040.

Source: Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council · Checked August 2026

Part of the full Emiratisation compliance guide.

At a glance

Why Nafis exists

Emirati private-sector participation was held back by a compensation gap. Public-sector roles offered higher total packages, so Emirati graduates went there, and private employers concluded that Emirati candidates were unaffordable or unavailable.

Nafis closes that gap from the government side rather than requiring employers to close it alone. It tops up the employee’s income directly, so a private-sector role reaches a competitive total position without the employer carrying the entire cost.

Nafis pays the employee, not the employer. It is not a rebate, it does not reduce your contractual salary obligation, and it does not appear in payroll as a credit. It changes what the person receives, which changes what you can attract.

What Nafis offers

Salary support, a monthly top-up paid directly to the eligible employee, tiered by qualification. See Nafis salary support.

Child allowance, the 2026 reforms removed the cap on the number of children covered. The per-child amount is not confirmed here (unconfirmed at the time of writing).

Support for children of Emirati mothers, and from September 2026 a scheme for women married to Emirati men.

Pension support, see below.

Training, apprenticeships and career development.

Unemployment support for eligible Emiratis. Terms not confirmed here, and this should not be confused with the separate national Involuntary Loss of Employment insurance scheme (unconfirmed at the time of writing).

The jobs platform, MOHRE consistently points employers here as the channel for sourcing candidates against Emiratisation targets.

What changed in September 2026

Salary support tiers reset. The bachelor’s maximum becomes AED 6,000. Figures of AED 7,000 and AED 8,000 still in circulation are pre-reset.

The minimum salary threshold standardises at AED 6,000 across all support schemes, aligned with the Cabinet minimum wage decision.

Employers take on more of the pension cost. Under the legacy pension framework, the employer’s statutory share is 15%, of which the government has contributed 2.5% in support of Emiratisation. Leaving employers funding 12.5%. From September 2026 that support is being withdrawn for the relevant cohort, increasing the employer’s cost. The exact post-September position is (unconfirmed at the time of writing). We cover the detail here: Nafis pension contribution changes.

Nafis and your Emiratisation target

For an employer subject to targets, Nafis is the practical route to meeting them. It is where the candidates are and what makes the offer competitive.

An unfilled skilled position costs AED 10,000 a month from July 2026 and produces nothing. A bachelor’s-degree Emirati hire attracts up to AED 6,000 a month in support paid to the employee, and produces work.

What people get wrong

Thinking it is an employer subsidy. The money goes to the employee. What you gain is the ability to make a competitive offer, but only if you explain the total position during hiring.

Using the old support figures. AED 7,000 and AED 8,000 are widely republished and superseded.

Assuming existing beneficiaries move immediately. The transition is phased over up to three years.

Ignoring the WPS link. Salary support and pension arrangements are tied to Wage Protection System compliance.

Treating Nafis and Emiratisation as the same thing. Emiratisation is the obligation on employers. Nafis is the support that makes meeting it viable.

Read next: Nafis salary support. The tiers, the transition, and what it means for an offer.

Last checked August 2026 · Sources: official platforms