In a country where expatriates make up nearly 90% of the population, the UAE’s latest Emiratisation push marks a decisive turn. Emiratisation, the policy of integrating UAE nationals into the workforce, especially the private sector, has been a cornerstone of national planning since its launch in 2000. Now, with fresh quotas targeting up to 60% Emirati representation in insurance sector by 2030, the government is signalling a clear intent to reshape workforce dynamics with long-term sustainability in mind.
Understanding Emiratisation: A National Vision for Inclusive Employment
Emiratisation, also known as Tawteen, refers to the strategic initiative by the UAE government aimed at increasing the participation of UAE nationals in the workforce, especially in the private sector. This initiative reflects a long-term national vision embedded in broader frameworks like UAE Centennial 2071, designed to enhance the nation’s sustainability, competitiveness, and knowledge-based economy.Despite being a wealthy and economically diversified country, the UAE has historically relied heavily on expatriate labor. With expatriates accounting for up to 90% of the population, native Emiratis have been significantly underrepresented in the private sector workforce. To bridge this gap, Emiratisation was launched in 2000, applying across the UAE (except Free Zones), and has seen more success in public institutions than in private enterprise.To address this imbalance, the Emirati Human Resources Competitiveness Council, known as Nafis, was established to spearhead Emiratisation in private sectors. Nafis offers incentives to companies, support to Emiratis, and monitors compliance. However, challenges persist, including instances of “fake Emiratisation,” where companies employ Emiratis merely to meet quotas without assigning real responsibilities, a practice the government strictly penalizes.
The New Target: 50%-60% Emiratisation in Insurance by 2030
In a significant policy development, the UAE has announced new Emiratisation goals for the insurance sector, aiming for 50% to 60% localisation by the year 2030, depending on the size of the company. This forms part of the government’s Emiratisation strategy for 2027–2030, which sets differentiated targets for leadership roles and critical functions within insurance firms. The announcement was made by Mohamed Al Husaini, UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs, during a Federal National Council (FNC) session on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. His statement came in response to a question raised by FNC member Adnan Al Hammadi regarding the Central Bank’s role in enforcing Emiratisation compliance in the insurance sector.
The Numbers So Far: Progress and Projections
As of June 1, 2025, the UAE insurance sector employs 2,159 Emiratis out of 9,773 employees, equating to an Emiratisation rate of 22.09%. This marks a steady improvement from 13.34% in 2022 and 21.64% in 2024.“The 2022–2026 strategy aims to increase localisation to 30 percent by 2026, growing about 3 percent annually,” said Mohamed Al Husaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs, in a statement. The upcoming goals set further conditions:
- At least one Emirati must be hired annually in job categories with 2 to 19 employees.
- A 30% localisation rate is required for roles with 20 or more employees.
- 45% of critical roles must be held by Emiratis.
- 30% of direct leadership positions, such as CEOs or general managers, must be filled by UAE nationals.
Enforcement, Training, and Education: Supporting the Drive
To ensure these goals are met and to curb fraudulent practices, the Central Bank has set up a dedicated Supervision and Inspection Unit. This unit has the authority to impose fines of AED 60,000 on companies found to be missing Emirati hires, calculated as AED 20,000 per violation point. Beyond enforcement, a significant emphasis has been placed on human capital development:
- 6,138 Emiratis have already participated in advanced professional training programmes in collaboration with prestigious international institutions.
Training fields include:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Auditing
- Anti-money laundering
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Science
In 2023, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and the Emirates Institute of Finance to offer 100 annual scholarships in actuarial science. As of now, nine Emiratis have been selected to study in the United States and Australia under this initiative. The minister also announced future plans to further bolster educational opportunities in this field: Collaborations are underway with institutions such as:
- Higher Colleges of Technology
- Zayed University
- American University in Dubai
- A bachelor’s degree programme in actuarial science will launch in September 2025.
- Insurance companies will sponsor tuition for 25 to 30 students annually.