UAE: Over 1,300 companies fined up to Dh100,000 for violating Emiratisation rules

More than 1,300 private companies in the UAE were penalised for violating Emiratisation rules from mid-2022 to May 16, 2024, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) announced on Friday.

Violators were fined Dh20,000 to Dh100,000 for each case.

These 1,379 firms were found to have hired 2,170 UAE nationals illegally, Mohre said.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Private companies in the country are required to increase the percentage of their Emirati workforce by two per cent every year to reach at least 10 per cent by 2026.

So far, more than 97,000 Emiratis are working in about 20,000 private companies in the country, based on the data gathered from mid-2022 to May 2024, Mohre said.

Inspections are regularly carried out to ensure compliance. Since rules were enforced, the ministry has caught hundreds of companies who circumvented targets through illegal hiring practices.

Emiratisation is considered fake when it is confirmed that a UAE national works in a nominal job without real tasks to meet the establishment's Emiratisation targets. Some would also 'rehire' an Emirati to manipulate data.

Besides hefty fines of up to Dh100,000, violators were referred to the Public Prosecution.

• Still required to work on-site amid rain, some UAE employees put 'life at risk' for others