Emiratisation is a UAE government initiative aimed at increasing the employment of Emirati nationals in the private sector. Not all businesses fall within the threshold for Emiratisation. If you are a business with 20 to 49 employees, you are required to employ at least one Emirati national by the end of 2024 and a second Emirati national by the end of 2025. If you are a business with 50 or more employees, the requirements for Emiratisation are more stringent. You must ensure that 2% of your workforce consists of Emirati nationals by the end of 2024 and continue to increase your Emirati workforce by 2% annually, such that a 10% overall rate of increase is achieved by 2026. Failure to comply can impact your company’s ability to operate smoothly in the UAE, and can result in fines, blocks and other penalties.