The UAE's Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has revealed it detected 377 fake Emiratisation cases across 266 private-sector companies in the first half of 2026, and has taken legal action against the firms and other parties involved.
The violations were uncovered through the ministry's field and digital monitoring systems. In many cases, Emirati nationals were formally registered as employees without any genuine, productive working relationship or real day-to-day duties — a practice authorities say undermines the intent of the Emiratisation programme, which is meant to create real, sustainable jobs for citizens rather than nominal payroll entries.
Legal action against the companies was taken under Cabinet Decision No. 43 of 2025, which governs administrative violations and penalties in the labour market. Despite the scale of the crackdown, MoHRE stressed that the violations remain limited in number and do not reflect a widespread practice across the UAE's private sector, which employs thousands of companies nationwide.
The ministry urged the public to report any suspected violations through its call centre on 600590000, its smart application, or its official website, reinforcing its reliance on both technology and public vigilance to police compliance.
The crackdown forms part of the UAE government's ongoing effort to safeguard the integrity of its Emiratisation strategy, which aims to raise the share of Emirati nationals in private-sector jobs while ensuring the roles created are meaningful and genuinely productive rather than symbolic.