441 private firms violated Emiratisation rules: Liable to pay fines of up to Dh500,000

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has announced that 441 private firms have been found to be in violation of Emiratisation rules in the period from the second half of 2022 until July 18.

Out of these, 436 companies were found to be falsely appointing Emiratis, while five firms were manipulated Emiratisation targets.

Companies that carry out fake Emiratisation to get Nafis benefits will be slapped with an administrative fine of between Dh20,000 and Dh100,000 for each bogus Emirati employee.

Emiratisation targets

Companies that violate Emiratisation targets for the first time will be fined Dh100,000. If the violation is repeated for the second time, a fine of Dh300,000 will be imposed, while the third time violation will lead to a fine of Dh500,000. The same fine will be imposed for similar violations after the third time.

The ministry has made it mandatory for companies found violating the Emiratisation targets to achieve the required targets based on their actual status before the circumvention.

Companies with 50 employees or more are required to increase the number of their Emirati employees in skilled jobs by 1 per cent every six months and ultimately achieve a 2 per cent Emiratisation rate by the end of the year.

Targeted companies are expected to achieve a 10 per cent Emiratisation rate by the end of 2026. Non-compliant companies will face a financial contribution of Dh42,000 for each Emirati not appointed according to the semi-annual targets.