In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), companies are beginning to focus not only on achieving targets for hiring UAE nationals but also on creating comprehensive career paths for local employees.
For a private company with 500 skilled employees, the emiratization benchmark by the end of 2026 requires having 50 UAE nationals in highly qualified positions. This requirement applies to private sector enterprises with a staff of 50 or more. These companies are obligated to increase their emiratization rate in skilled positions by two percent annually, which corresponds to a one percent increase every six months, to reach the 10 percent mark by the end of 2026.
At the national level, most covered enterprises are moving in the right direction. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation reported that 95 percent of companies met their goals for the first half of 2026. By July, nearly 32,000 private companies employed over 190,000 UAE nationals.
The Al-Futtaim Group notes that the share of UAE nationals in its business in the UAE is 20 percent, exceeding the established target of 10 percent. However, the group's published data has a broader scope and may use a different denominator than what Mohre defines.
Al-Futtaim's main focus is on building a talent pipeline rather than solely on recruitment. Approximately 300 UAE nationals participate in the SINYAR platform annually, with 70 percent of them registered in the Explorer program. This program introduces 9th to 12th-grade students to workplaces, future skills, and career opportunities.
Four stages are planned: Graduate, Manager, Leader, and Elite, which help UAE nationals transition from entry-level professional roles to leadership and entrepreneurial positions.
Mira Al Futtaim, Chair of the Emiratisation Council at Al-Futtaim and Director of Future Education at Al-Futtaim Education Foundation, stated: 'Our goal is not just to create jobs for UAE nationals, but also to foster an environment where national talents can build meaningful and long-term careers.'
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank reported that its emiratization level reached 53.7 percent, the highest figure in recent years. An ADIB representative interviewed by Khaleej Times in Ru’ya noted that UAE nationals hold critical functions and are not confined only to back-office roles. A separate report by the Dubai Media Office set the bank's figure at approximately 53 percent.
Bushra Al Shehhi, Group HR Director and Chair of Kawader, emphasized: 'For us, emiratization is not just a number. It is part of our identity at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.'
According to a representative, women constitute 78.3 percent of ADIB's workforce among UAE nationals. The bank's Al Ain Center of Excellence employs over 200 staff in areas such as compliance, fundraising, and operations. Approximately 60-70 people work in fundraising, and about 20 retail staff were added in Al Ain this year.
This is part of a plan announced in June 2025, which aims to hire 400 UAE nationals in Al Ain by the end of 2026 across Islamic retail banking, operations, compliance, and fundraising sectors.
Alshaya Group expected to meet its annual goal by the end of the Ru’ya exhibition week. James Young, Head of Talent Acquisition, reported that the group has about 50 UAE national employees and is on track to reach over 420 by the end of 2026.
Young noted that the company's previous approach was simply to 'hit the number,' and that 'now everything is connected to people, and we see that we naturally achieve the number we need without worrying about it.'
Practically, changes have included flexible contracts that attract more students, as well as expanding roles in the head office. UAE nationals now work in teams focused on online merchandising, customer service, technology, and asset protection, while the company aims for greater involvement in finance and marketing.
Alshaya also implemented cultural awareness programs for expatriate store managers after identifying high turnover, partially linked to assigned tasks and communication styles. Young reported that turnover decreased after implementing this program. Furthermore, on October 4, the group plans to launch the Grow With Us program—a six-month accelerator to prepare store employees who are UAE nationals for the next position.