United Arab Emirates: Deadline Extended for Employers to Meet Semi-Annual Emiratization Target

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization announced the extension of the deadline for private sector companies with 50 or more employees to meet their semi-annual nationalization target by July 7, 2023, instead of the previous deadline of June 30, 2023. The ministry announced the extension in order for employers to work around government and office closures for the upcoming public holiday which will last almost a week. Affected employers must achieve at least one percent of their annual Emiratization target, or be subject to a fine of AED 7,000 per month for each vacancy that has not been filled with an Emirati worker.