UAE Nafis & Emiratization Programme
Current 2026 guide to Nafis Salary Support, Child Allowance, pension contribution support, unemployment benefits and private- sector Emiratisation requirements.
The September 2026 Nafis changes are not simply a replacement of all existing benefits on one day: new beneficiaries enter the revised framework, while existing beneficiaries transition under phased rules.
September 2026 is a transition point, not a single universal reset
ETCC announced the revised framework on 14 April 2026. The new benefit structure is scheduled for September 2026 for new beneficiaries, while existing Salary Support recipients move gradually to the new structure over up to three years.
The page therefore distinguishes current programme architecture, the September 2026 new-beneficiary rules and the transition mechanisms rather than describing every current beneficiary as immediately subject to the new maximums.
What Nafis is — and what it is not
Nafis is a federal UAE initiative implemented by the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (ETCC) to support Emirati participation and competitiveness in the private sector. It operates alongside, rather than replacing, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s employer-side Emiratisation requirements.
Beneficiary benefits such as Salary Support, Child Allowance, Pension Contribution Support and Unemployment Benefit should not be confused with the statutory financial contributions imposed on companies that fail to meet Emiratisation targets.
September 2026 Salary Support ceilings
Bachelor's degree holders
| Salary Support item | Current 2026 position |
|---|---|
| Maximum monthly support | Maximum monthly Salary Support: AED 6,000 |
| Minimum salary condition | Minimum salary for support eligibility: AED 6,000; updated framework for new beneficiaries is scheduled from September 2026. |
| Salary ceiling for revised support framework | Salary Support under the revised framework is targeted at eligible salaries up to AED 20,000. |
| Implementation date | September 2026 for new beneficiaries; existing beneficiaries transition under phased rules. |
Child Allowance reform
The 2026 reform removes the former cap on the number of children eligible for Nafis Child Allowance.
| Historical allowance | AED 600 per eligible child |
| Previous cap | Up to 4 children |
| September 2026 reform | No upper limit on number of eligible children |
The ETCC 2026 announcement removes the child-number ceiling. The AED 600 per-child amount comes from the published Nafis Child Allowance framework; the 2026 announcement itself focuses on removal of the cap rather than replacing that amount with a new per-child figure.
Expanded family support
- Children of Emirati mothers employed in the private sector can qualify for Salary Support of up to AED 3,000 per month, subject to published salary and qualification conditions.
- Eligible wives of Emirati nationals working in the private sector can qualify for Salary Support of up to AED 3,000 per month.
- Child-of-Emirati-mother eligibility announced by ETCC includes a monthly salary between AED 6,000 and AED 20,000 and at least a bachelor’s degree accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
- The wives-of-Emirati-nationals scheme has additional family and qualification conditions, including salary and marriage/children requirements, with stated exceptions for specified professional groups.
Existing beneficiaries: phased transition
| Beneficiary situation | Current ETCC transition rule |
|---|---|
| Existing Salary Support recipient | Support is adjusted automatically from September 2026 with a reduction of AED 500 every six months until the revised policy level is reached, subject to the applicable transition. |
| Eligible worker outside MoHRE / Central Bank coverage, including relevant free-zone workers | Where salary is below the approved minimum, support becomes available after salary correction to AED 6,000. The announced transition is 100% of the current support value for 6 months, then 70% for 6 months, then 30% for 3 months. |
| New beneficiary from September 2026 | Enters the revised benefit structure and must satisfy the applicable salary, education, employment and programme-specific eligibility conditions. |
Emiratisation targets — 50+ employees
| Scope | Private-sector establishments with 50 or more employees subject to the policy. |
| Annual skilled-job growth | 2% annually |
| End-2026 target | 10% Emiratisation in skilled jobs |
| 2026 contribution for missed 2025 target | AED 108,000 per unmet Emirati position |
20–49 employee establishments
The expanded Emiratisation rule applies only to establishments in the economic activities specified by the relevant ministerial and cabinet decisions.
- At least one Emirati had to be hired in 2024.
- At least one additional Emirati had to be hired in 2025.
- Existing Emirati employees had to be retained.
- The contribution for failure to meet the 2025 target is AED 108,000, collected from January 2026.
Fake Emiratisation and circumvention penalties
| Violation level | MoHRE announced contribution / penalty | Additional consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Circumvention — first violation | AED 100,000 | Company must still achieve the required Emiratisation target. |
| Circumvention — second violation | AED 300,000 | Continued administrative enforcement and target-compliance obligations. |
| Circumvention — third and subsequent violations | AED 500,000 | Target must still be achieved based on the company’s actual status. |
| Nafis-support-related violations | Separate administrative penalties | Cabinet Resolution No. 95 of 2022, as amended, allows support suspension/recovery and an AED 20,000-per-worker fine in specified violations intended to evade or defraud the Emiratisation system. |
Pension contributions and Nafis
| Component | Current GPSSA position for first-time contributors under Law No. 57 of 2023 |
|---|---|
| Total contribution | 26% |
| Employee share | 11% |
| Employer statutory share | 15% |
| Government support | GPSSA states that the government bears 2.5% of the employer contribution for eligible private-sector Emiratis whose contribution-account salary is below AED 20,000. |
| Nafis from September 2026 | Nafis will continue covering pension-fund contributions for Emiratis enrolled under the Subscription scheme, while private-sector employers will assume responsibility for paying their share under the revised programme framework. |
Do not convert this into a universal “employer pays 12.5%” rule. The statutory GPSSA contribution is 11% employee + 15% employer, with government support mechanisms that can reduce the effective employer burden for eligible private-sector Emiratis.
Other Nafis support programmes
National Healthcare Programme
Education and professional-development support for Emiratis in healthcare fields. Exact scholarship, institution and stipend conditions depend on the current programme cycle.
Talent / Competencies / Training Programmes
Training, practical experience and professional development programmes designed to improve Emirati employability and career progression.
Unemployment Benefit
Temporary financial support is available to eligible Emirati private-sector workers who lose employment, subject to the programme’s current qualification and duration rules. The page does not hard-code the older AED 3,000–8,000 range because current official Nafis material does not establish that one universal figure.
Pension Programme
Nafis supports pension contributions for eligible Emiratis employed in the private sector under the applicable Subscription scheme.
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Official sources checked for 2026
These are primary UAE government, ETCC, MoHRE, Nafis and GPSSA sources. This page is not certified, verified or endorsed by any government authority.