Emiratisation rules 2026: what changes for 50+ and 20–49 employee companies
Thresholds, deadlines, skilled-role definitions and the sectors now in scope.
1
Understand needs
We learn your goals, workforce plan and Emiratisation targets.
Emirati talent. Brighter tomorrows.
Hire Top Emirati
Talent with
Confidence
Your trusted partner for Emiratisation hiring, workforce planning and compliant talent solutions across the UAE.
UAE FocusedCompliant & Trusted
Real ImpactBuild a stronger UAEthrough its people→
Emiratisation target check
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Free quota gap report
How many Emiratis do you need to hire before the next MoHRE checkpoint?
Add each trade licence, adjust for hires already in progress, and see the gap, the monthly fine and your risk instantly. The full per-licence report and a branded PDF are free with a work email. About the report →
- 1Company & licences
- 2Your situation
- 3Unlock the report
Company and licences
1 licence · target appliesNext check: 30 June or 31 December
2Emirati hires needed this year
Emiratis today2 · 2.5% of skilled roles
Fine once assessedAED 16,000/mo
RiskAt risk
In the full report
- Per-licence table with fines and the 10% milestone
- Timeline to 30 June or 31 December and a risk rating
- Fine schedule: checkpoint, year-end, 12 months
- Recommended services and a dated action plan
- Branded PDF, emailed to you
Indicative only. MoHRE counts skilled roles by its own classification; we verify the number in a free workforce audit. Questions: [email protected]
Services
Everything you need to hire and keep UAE Nationals
One focus, delivered end to end. From a single senior Emirati hire to a full Emiratisation strategy with MoHRE and Nafis advisory — everything a large agency offers, with one accountable consultant.
Emiratisation hiring
Every route to a UAE National on your payroll, from one graduate to fifty seats.
Permanent Emirati hiringUAE Nationals in skilled roles — HR, finance, customer service, operations, sales, admin.
Executive searchConfidential retained search for senior Emirati leaders and board-level roles.Bulk hiring5–50 seats across retail, contact centres and operations in one coordinated campaign.
Contract & temporary staffingEmirati professionals for fixed-term projects, maternity cover and seasonal peaks.
Emirati graduate programmesNafis-registered Emirati graduates for entry-level roles and development schemes.
Internship programmesStructured 3–6 month internships that convert into permanent Emirati hires.
Compliance & workforce planning
Know your target, activate every incentive, and stay ahead of MoHRE checks.
Emiratisation workforce planningWorkforce audit, MoHRE classification review and a hiring roadmap to your semi-annual targets.Nafis & compliance advisoryActivate Nafis salary support, pension and training benefits; avoid fake-Emiratisation penalties.Emiratisation outsourcingWe run your Emirati hiring desk end to end — sourcing, screening, scheduling and reporting.Compliance reportingHalf-yearly target tracking and fine-exposure reports for your board.
Onboarding & retention
A placement only counts if it lasts. We stay involved after day one.
Employee onboardingOffer support, MoHRE registration guidance and a 30/60/90-day plan with the line manager.Training & leadership developmentDevelopment pathways for Emirati hires so they progress into leadership, not out of the door.Employer branding for Emirati talentPosition your company as an employer of choice for UAE Nationals — careers fairs, content, EVP.Talent strategySuccession planning and Emirati talent pipelines aligned to your 2026 and beyond targets.Your journey with us
A seamless path to Emiratisation success.
From the first conversation to a UAE National thriving in the role — four moves, one consultant, no hand-offs.
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Source Emirati talent
Access our database of pre-vetted, Nafis-registered UAE Nationals.
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Shortlist & interview
We present the strongest matches and support every interview stage.
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Onboard & retain
Support continues through onboarding, engagement and 90-day retention.
0 daysMedian time to first shortlist
0+UAE Nationals placed since 2023
0%Of our work is Emiratisation
150+UAE Nationals placed since 2023
Why Employ Emiratis
The large agencies run Emiratisation as a side desk. For us, it’s the whole business.
A specialist, founder-led consultancy. The consultant you meet is the one who sources, screens and places your Emirati hire — no hand-offs, no juniors, no CV dumps.
- 100% Emiratisation
No expat placements, no outsourcing. Every hour goes into UAE Nationals.
- One of the largest Emirati databases
Years of relationships with graduates and professionals, screened and engaged.
- Founder-led, end to end
One accountable consultant from brief to onboarding. No hand-offs.
- Retention, not just placement
Day-30 and day-90 check-ins, plus a replacement guarantee.
Talent we place
One of the UAE’s largest databases of Emirati professionals
From first-job graduates to department heads — pre-screened, Nafis-registered and ready to interview. Every profile counts towards your MoHRE target.
Graduates
Early-career & graduates
Admin, HR coordinators, junior finance, customer service
Mid-career
Experienced professionals
Accountants, HR specialists, operations, sales
Front line
Customer-facing talent
Relationship managers, retail leads, contact centres
Leadership
Emerging leaders
Team leads, department heads, Emiratisation managers
Compare
How we differ from a large agency or a job board
Employ EmiratisLarge agencyJob boardScope of workEmiratisation onlyAll nationalities, all rolesSelf-serve listings
Who handles your briefFounder, end to endAccount manager → juniorNobody
Time to first shortlist≈ 5 working days2–4 weeksWhenever they apply
Candidate pre-screeningEvery candidate, by phoneCV keyword matchNone
Nafis / MoHRE guidanceIncludedExtra service—
Fee modelPlacement fee on start dateRetainer + placementSubscription
Emiratisation rules 2026
What MoHRE expects from your company this year
Targets are set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and checked twice a year. Missing them costs money every month and can affect your MoHRE classification tier — which changes your permit fees.
Request a free workforce audit →
50+ employees+2% / year
Emiratis in skilled roles must grow 2% annually (1% each half-year), reaching 10% by end of 2026.
20–49 employees2 Emiratis
Companies in 14 designated sectors must employ at least two UAE Nationals.
Non-complianceAED 96,000+
Per missing Emirati per year — AED 8,000 monthly, rising each year the target is missed.
Deadlines30 Jun · 31 Dec
MoHRE checks progress twice a year. Fake Emiratisation carries fines of AED 100,000+ per case.
Industries we place in
Skilled roles that count towards your MoHRE target.
Banking & financeInsuranceRetail & hospitalityLogistics & supply chainHealthcareReal estateEducationConstruction & engineeringTechnologyProfessional servicesGovernment-linked
How it works
From brief to onboarded Emirati in four steps
Typical time to first shortlist: under a week. The database already exists — we match, we don’t start searching when you call.
Step 1 · Day 0
Brief
A 30-minute call to understand the role, team, salary band and your Emiratisation target — and what has failed before.
You receive: a signed role brief
What happens
Role scope & reporting line
Salary band vs. market for Emiratis
MoHRE target and deadline
Interview panel & timeline
Results
What HR leaders say after their first hire
28%Banking & finance
22%Retail & hospitality
17%Logistics
150+
UAE Nationals placed since 2023 — across banking, retail, logistics, healthcare and government-linked companies.
Although we have our own internal talent acquisition team, when it comes to hiring UAE Nationals, we always prefer working with Shukran HR Consultancy because of the speed at which they work. They seem to have a regularly updated database and often share profiles with us within 72 hours. The quality of Emirati candidates is also excellent. We have been hiring through Shukran since 2023, and our UAE National employees are still happily working with us.
“We have relied on Shukran HR Consultancy for all our Emiratisation requirements from day one, and we have been extremely satisfied with their services.”
“Emirati Civil Engineers are in high demand. However, our experience with Shukran was not just easy — they simplified the entire process of talent spotting, and we are proud to have onboarded some of the finest Emirati talent.”
For UAE Nationals
Emirati and looking for your next role? Join the database.
Register once and we match you to skilled roles at mainland companies across banking, retail, logistics, healthcare and more. No fees, ever — employers pay us. Nafis-registered candidates get priority.
Insights
Emiratisation guides for HR teams
Compliance · 6 min
Nafis · 4 min
Nafis incentives for employers: the support most companies never claim
Salary support, pension contributions and training benefits — and how to activate them on every hire.
Retention · 5 min
Why Emirati hires leave in year one — and how to stop it
What 150+ placements taught us about the first ninety days, managers and development paths.
Why we only do this
Emiratisation is a national project. Every placement is a career started, a family strengthened and a target met.
That is why we don’t place expats, don’t run ten desks and don’t hand you to a junior. One consultant, one focus — UAE Nationals into roles where they stay and grow.
Start a hiring brief →FAQ
Common questions about Emiratisation
Rules change every year. If your question isn’t here, ask us — replies within one working day.
Emiratisation is the UAE’s programme requiring private-sector companies to employ UAE Nationals. Mainland companies with 50+ employees must grow Emirati headcount in skilled roles by 2% a year; companies with 20–49 staff in designated sectors must employ two Emiratis. Non-compliance carries monthly fines per missing hire.
Usually within five working days of a signed brief. Our database is pre-built and continuously refreshed, so we match rather than search from zero.
Skilled roles across HR, customer service, finance, admin, sales, operations, marketing and graduate programmes — the roles that count towards MoHRE targets.
No. We work exclusively with UAE mainland companies hiring directly. This keeps our candidate relationships clean and our focus absolute.
A simple placement fee, agreed up front, payable on the candidate’s start date. No retainers, no subscriptions.
Start hiring
Tell us the role. We’ll send Emirati candidates.
Replies within one working day. Prefer to talk first? Book a 30-minute meeting and we’ll map your Emiratisation target together.
Book a meeting ↗