The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) said on Sunday that there are around 79,000 UAE nationals working in the private sector, which are the highest  Emiratisation rate recorded in the UAE private sector.

“The notable growth in the number of Emirati citizens employed in the private sector reflects the effectiveness of the Emiratisation policies that have been implemented on a semi-annual basis starting this year,” said Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation in a statement. 

The ministry said that the new numbers mark a 57% increase compared to the end of 2022 figures, where 50,228 UAE nationals were employed in the private sector.

“This growth demonstrates the private sector’s awareness and commitment to its responsibilities as a partner to the UAE Government in the Emiratisation process, guided by a vision to enhance the human development system in the UAE,” explained the minister. 

The ministry said they have been working with their partners, through integrated legislation and initiatives, to achieve its vision of making the labour market accessible to Emirati talents and attractive to qualified professionals from around the world.

They explained that their objective is to empower Emiratis to thrive in the private sector, enhance their competitiveness, and enable them to actively participate in the economy of the UAE, where the private sector plays a critical and driving role.

“The ministry’s commitment to providing benefits to companies that actively engage with Emiratisation plans and programmes through the Tawteen Partners Club, which offers members discounts of up to 80% on service fees, continues,” explained Aisha Belharfia, Acting Undersecretary for Emiratisation Affairs and Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs at the MoHRE.

The UAE has been running the Nafis program to encourage hiring Emiratis in the private sector which has led to the increase in the number of Emirati citizens. The ministry has worked to implement plans and programmes designed to provide qualified Emirati talents with the right tools and support, and enable companies to meet their Emiratisation commitments.

Emiratisation targets for the second half of 2023 require private sector companies with 50 or more employees to achieve an additional 1% growth in the number of UAE citizens working in skilled jobs among their staff, which means achieving an overall growth of 2% by the end of the year, the ministry explained.