Navigating Emiratisation Targets in 2024: Insights for SMEs from Gateley Legal's Employment Head Amidst Penalties and Opportunities

Date Posted:Thu, 4th Jan 2024

Navigating Emiratisation Targets in 2024: Insights for SMEs from Gateley Legal's Employment Head Amidst Penalties and Opportunities

"..companies that fail to meet the new Emiratisation targets in 2024 face Dhs96,000 for each Emirati not hired. The UAE has started implementing Emiratisation targets on more than 12,000 private companies with between 20 and 49 employees." - Gulf Business

 

The BBG asked BBG Member Thenji Moyo - Partner and Head of Employment at Gateley Legal to comment on what this means for business owners of SMEs:

“The recent announcements on Emiratisation demonstrate the UAE government’s continued commitment to fully integrate UAE nationals into the private sector. This is a great opportunity for all businesses to utilize initiatives such as the Nafis Program to access the UAE National talent pool. In order to ensure compliance and avoid penalties, SMEs should take immediate steps to strategically review their internal recruitment strategy. Based on current trends, we would anticipate an even further expansion to the rules to even smaller businesses in the remaining sectors, which will ultimately lead to a more inclusive and sustainable national workforce.”

Click here to read the full article from Gulf Business