Abu Dhabi court fines private firm Dh10 million for Emiratisation fraud
Firm showed fictitious appointment of 113 citizens
ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi Misdemeanor Court has fined a private company Dh10 million for violating Emiratisation regulations. The firm was found guilty of appointing 113 citizens fictitiously to meet Emiratisation targets.
This penalty highlights strict enforcement against fraud in the private sector.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) monitored the company’s serious violations of Emiratisation procedures.
The ministry then referred the company to the Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution to investigate incidents of fictitious Emiratisation and non-compliance with the policies of employing national cadres in the private sector, according to the Nafis programme.
This programme provides benefits and privileges aimed at enhancing the participation of citizens in private sector work.
Investigations revealed that the company had issued work permits for employees and registered them under the company without real employment. Based on the investigation outcome, the Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution ordered referral of the violating company to the competent court, which issued a ruling convicting the company.
Earlier warning
MOHRE had earlier warned private sector companies and establishments against committing violations related to the wages of citizens working for them. The ministry had stressed the need to avoid two main types of violations: Granting a citizen a lower wage than his colleagues in the same post; and reducing a citizen’s wage on the pretext of benefiting from the Nafis programme.
The ministry also identified six types of violations that may result in penalties, including fictitious Emiratisation and instances where the citizen does not join the workforce after the establishment receives support from the Nafis programme.
MOHRE said it had robust controls in place to identify violations. These controls include regulating job vacancy advertisements, which must be accurate and reflect real job opportunities.
In a series of advisory posts on social media platforms, the ministry has explained a number of obligations that employers must adhere to when employing citizens.
Establishments must enable citizens to perform their work, provide them with appropriate tools and space, and adequately qualify and train them. There must also be no delay in issuing work permits and paying wages according to the Wage Protection System.
The ministry has stressed the need to conclude employment contracts that are compatible with the applicable regulations, and to quickly register citizens in the pension and social insurance system, and pay monthly contributions on the specified dates.
Work permit cancellation
It also stressed the importance of reporting any changes in the employment contract that may affect the employee’s benefit from the Nafis programme, and canceling the work permit immediately upon the end of the contractual relationship.
MOHRE recently said that its monitoring system had detected 3,549 violations of Emiratisation targets. It noted that it had monitored 1,379 private companies, and it was proven that they had violated Emiratisation decisions by trying to circumvent Emiratisation targets, and showing fictitious Emiratisation from mid-2022 until May 16, 2024.
The ministry has confirmed that as of last May, more than 20,000 companies in the private sector had committed to the established Emiratisation targets, as they employ more than 97,000 citizens, which confirms the effectiveness of Emiratisation policies and the support initiatives launched by the government, especially under the Nafis programme.