From the start of the year, the UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) is requiring private companies to employ a minimum number of UAE citizens.

Under the new rules, companies with between 20 and 49 employees are now required to hire at least one UAE citizen in 2024. Next year, that number will increase to two.

The requirements are greater for larger companies, who must have 6% of their workforce be UAE citizens by the end of 2024, increasing to 10% at the end of 2026.