There are currently 95,000 Emiratis employed by the private sector, according to the latest figures. Photo: Sharjah Job Fair
There are currently 95,000 Emiratis employed by the private sector, according to the latest figures. Photo: Sharjah Job Fair
There are currently 95,000 Emiratis employed by the private sector, according to the latest figures. Photo: Sharjah Job Fair
There are currently 95,000 Emiratis employed by the private sector, according to the latest figures. Photo: Sharjah Job Fair

More than 1,200 companies in breach of Emiratisation rules


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More than 1,200 companies have hired Emiratis illegally in an attempt to get around the UAE's Emiratisation laws, latest figures have revealed.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation said the breaches concern the employment of 1,963 Emiratis, in which companies were found to be using “fake Emiratisation” to circumvent the rules.

The numbers involved are for the period from mid-2022 to March 14, 2024.

“Our inspection team has successfully identified 1,202 private companies that have hired 1,963 UAE nationals illegally through attempting to circumvent Emiratisation targets and engaging in fake Emiratisation from mid-2022 until March 14, 2024,” the ministry said on social media platform X.

“Harmful practices that aim to undermine Emiratisation commitments will be dealt with firmly and according to the law.”

Penalties in place

Companies that are found to be in breach of the UAE's Emiratisation rules face fines from Dh20,000 to Dh100,000 for each case.

There is also the risk of being referred to prosecutors depending on the severity of the offence, according to the ministry.

Companies in breach must also make financial contributions towards Emiratisation targets and will be classified in the lowest ranking on the ministry's system.

Citizens found to be in breach will have their Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council programme (Nafis) benefits ceased and previous benefits will be recovered, the ministry said.

Emiratisation project

There are currently 95,000 Emiratis employed by the private sector, according to the latest figures from the ministry.

More than 20,000 companies have complied with the regulations.

From January 1 last year, private companies with more than 50 employees had to ensure that 2 per cent of staff members were Emirati.

This figure rose to 4 per cent by the end of last year and will rise to 6 per cent this year and 8 per cent next year, with the ultimate goal of hitting a 10 per cent target by the end of 2026.

Smaller businesses with 20 to 49 employees must hire at least one citizen by the end of 2024 and another by 2025.

The requirement applies to privately owned companies in 14 sectors, including property, education, construction and health care.

Previously, only companies with 50 or more employees needed to meet the targets for hiring citizens.

Earlier this month, the UAE approved a Dh6.4 billion budget to further boost Emiratisation in the private sector.

A new target was set for the country's Nafis programme, which launched in 2021, to ensure 36,000 citizens join the private sector workforce in 2024, the state news agency Wam reported.

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

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The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

 

 

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Key products and UAE prices

iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229

iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649

iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179

Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.

When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
While you're here
%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fislamic-economy-consumer-spending-to-increase-45-to-3-2tn-by-2024-1.936583%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EGlobal%20Islamic%20economy%20to%20grow%203.1%25%20to%20touch%20%242.4%20trillion%20by%202024%3C%2Fa%3E%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fuk-economy-plunges-into-worst-ever-recession-after-record-20-4-contraction-1.1062560%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EUK%20economy%20plunges%20into%20worst-ever%20recession%20after%20record%2020.4%25%20contraction%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenationalnews.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fislamic-economy-consumer-spending-to-increase-45-to-3-2tn-by-2024-1.936583%22%20target%3D%22_self%22%3EIslamic%20economy%20consumer%20spending%20to%20increase%2045%25%20to%20%243.2tn%20by%202024%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

Daniel Bardsley

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Bio

Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro

WHAT%20START-UPS%20IS%20VISA%20SEEKING%3F
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Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

Updated: March 15, 2024, 2:14 PM`