Emiratisation in 2026: Does Your Company Actually Have to Comply?

It depends on where you're licensed and how many people you employ.

If you hold both a mainland and a free zone license, the MOHRE quota is calculated on the staff registered with MOHRE. Check your own structure with MOHRE or your adviser, because group structures vary.

The 20 to 49 rule covered 2024 and 2025. Check MOHRE's current notice for your 2026 obligation before you plan around it.

AED 108,000 for each Emirati you were required to hire under your 2025 target and didn't, collected from January 2026. The contribution has gone up by AED 1,000 a month each year since the scheme began, so plan on the 2026 figure being higher.

The fine isn't the only cost:

• Classification. MOHRE can downgrade non-compliant companies in its establishment classification system, which affects the fees you pay.
• Fake Emiratisation. Hiring Emiratis into roles that don't really exist, or on paper only, is treated as a serious violation. MOHRE reported detecting 405 cases in the first half of 2025 alone.
• The upside you miss. Companies that exceed their targets can join the Emiratisation Partners Club, with discounts of up to 80% on MOHRE service fees and priority in federal procurement.

A standard internship: not as far as MOHRE has said publicly. Treat it as not counting.

What does count is the Studying Citizen Employment Contract, created by MOHRE with Nafis. MOHRE has confirmed that a student hired under this contract counts towards the company's Emiratisation target. The conditions:

• The student is an Emirati enrolled in a program supported and approved by Nafis.
• The job in the contract matches the student's field of study.
• Pay is at least AED 4,000 a month, through the Wage Protection System.
• The student is registered with an approved pension fund.
• On graduation, the contract converts to a full-time contract for at least as long as the student spent on the study contract.

It started in private healthcare through Nafis's National Healthcare Program and covers other Nafis-approved programs too. It's a real hire with real obligations, not a short placement, so treat it as a graduate pipeline decision.

Because internships aren't a headcount trick. They're how you build the pipeline you'll hire from later, and that's where Emiratisation gets easier.

• You hire people who already know you. A student who has spent a summer in your team is a lower-risk hire than a stranger on a CV, and they already know whether they want to work with you.
• You meet Emirati talent early. Internships put you in front of Emirati students years before they graduate, including the ones who could join on a Studying Citizen Employment Contract.
• It counts for CSR. A structured programme with real outcomes is measurable social impact, not a photo opportunity.
• It's planned, not panicked. A pipeline built over a year beats a hire found in a fortnight.

Starting in November for a hire you need by 31 December is the hardest possible way to do this.

1. Confirm your scope. Mainland or free zone, MOHRE-registered headcount, and whether you've had a notification as a 20 to 49 company.
2. Check your target in the MOHRE system. Know your number before the 31 December assessment.
3. Register on Nafis. It's where you find Emirati candidates and access the student contract.
4. Map the roles. Which skilled roles could an Emirati graduate fill in the next two years? Which match a Nafis-approved programme?
5. Plan internships as a pipeline. Line up summer placements in those same functions, so next year's hires have already worked with you.
6. Keep records. Contracts, pension registration and WPS payments are what MOHRE checks.

Nafis is where you hire Emiratis and access the student contract. Sparq is where you run the internship and job shadowing program that feeds it: listings, applications, interviews and reporting in one place, for school and university students.

Your internship program today is probably a mess of WhatsApp, spreadsheets and email. Sparq replaces that with one platform, so you can see who applied, who you met, and what each placement achieved.

Book a demo by sending an email to contact@sparq.ae

Are free zone companies subject to Emiratisation?

Generally no. MOHRE's quota applies to companies registered with MOHRE on the mainland. The exception is Central Bank-licensed firms, such as banks and insurers, which have their own targets even in DIFC or ADGM.

Do interns count towards Emiratisation targets?

MOHRE hasn't said a standard internship counts. An Emirati student hired on a Studying Citizen Employment Contract, under a Nafis-approved programme, does count.

How much is the Emiratisation fine?

AED 108,000 for each required Emirati hire missed under 2025 targets, collected from January 2026. The amount rises each year.

When are Emiratisation targets assessed?

Twice a year for companies with 50 or more employees: by 30 June and by 31 December.

Does Emiratisation apply to companies with fewer than 20 employees?

No. Companies with 20 to 49 employees are covered only if they're in one of the named sectors and MOHRE has notified them.

What is the Emiratisation Partners Club?

A MOHRE scheme for companies that exceed their targets, offering up to 80% off MOHRE service fees and priority in federal procurement.

Checked on 13 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your company's position with MOHRE or your adviser.

• Gulf News: UAE firms face Dh108,000 fine for every Emirati they don't hire under 2025 targets (fine amount, 20 to 49 rule, Partners Club)
• Gulf News: MoHRE warns UAE firms ahead of Emiratisation deadline (30 June 2026 half-year deadline)
• Gulf News: Meet Emiratisation targets by December 31 or face fines (405 fake Emiratisation cases, H1 2025)
• Gulf Today: UAE firms told to reach Emiratisation target by Dec 31 (classification downgrade)
• DLA Piper: Emiratisation targets expanded to smaller establishments (14 sectors, companies under 20 not covered)
• LY Lawyers: Emiratisation not applicable to free zone companies (Resolution 279 of 2022 applies to MOHRE-registered companies)
• Kayrouz & Associates: Emiratisation compliance in 2026 (annual increase in contributions, free zone position)
• MOHRE: Studying Citizen Employment Contract and Gulf News: UAE introduces job contracts for students (counts towards targets, conditions, AED 4,000 minimum)