Ministry’s move on private firms failing over Emiratisation

ABU DHABI: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) has announced that it has applied financial contributions to private sector companies for failing to achieve the Emiratisation targets stipulated for the year 2022.

This is in line with the implementation of the UAE Cabinet’s resolution to raise the Emiratisation levels of skilled jobs by 2 percent annually in private sector establishments that have 50 employees effective 2022. The resolution aims to increase the Emiratisation rate to 10 per cent by the end of 2026.

The value of the financial contributions imposed on establishments amounted to Dhs72,000 for each Emirati not appointed during 2022. This is calculated at the rate of Dhs6,000 per month for every UAE national.

Saif Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary for Emiratisation Affairs at MOHRE, has called on the private sector establishments to abide by the Cabinet’s resolution and contribute effectively to raising Emiratisation rates in the private sector, which will enable Emiratis to participate in this important sector.

He reiterated that the establishments targeted by the Emiratisation resolution must work to raise their Emiratisation rate by 4 per cent by the end of 2023, to avoid imposition of financial contributions by the beginning of 2024. The value of the monthly financial contributions imposed on private sector entities will increase progressively at a rate of Dhs1,000 annually until the year 2026.

The Ministry provides a package of incentives for distinguished establishments that make qualitative achievements in training and employing Emiratis in line with the objectives of the ‘Nafis’ programme, including joining the Emiratisation Partners Club, which raises the establishment’s classification to the first category in the Ministry’s system – which will entitle them to up to 80 per cent discounts for availing the Ministry’s services.

SEWA: Meanwhile, Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) announced an increase in the percentage of Emiratisation in engineering vacancies from the beginning of 2021 to the end of 2022 by 148.97 per cent, as the number of Emirati engineers at the beginning of 2021 reached 98 engineers and rose to 244 engineers by the end of 2022.

The authority revealed its plan to raise the Emiratisation percentage to 73 per cent of the total engineering jobs by the end of 2023, as the authority intends to employ 170 jobseekers from the emirate, including 130 national engineers, in addition to 40 administrative jobs. Majid Issa Huraimel Al Shamsi, Director of the General Department of Institutional Support Services at SEWA, confirmed that the authority began implementing a plan to raise the Emiratisation rate in engineering jobs since 2021.