United Arab Emirates: Amended Conditions for Tawteen Partners Club Platinum Membership

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) has amended conditions for private sector employers registered outside of free zones to become members of the Tawteen Partners Club. This initiative offers benefits and incentives, including reclassification of a company to higher category and fast-tracking for employment-related transactions. According to the new conditions, which only apply to the Platinum membership, employers must either increase their number of local workers (Emiratization ratio) by at least three times the prescribed annual Emiratization ratio (provided the number of Emirati employees is no less than 30 additional workers) or participate in the Nafis program by hiring and training a minimum of 500 Emirati nationals per year. Affected employers seeking Platinum membership must continue to fulfill all applicable UAE employment and labor regulations, in addition to adhering to at least one of the new conditions, as it is expected that Tawteen Partners Club members will be subject to regular MOHRE compliance inspections.