Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation Abu Dhabi Office

If you are searching for the ministry of human resources & emiratisation abu dhabi labour office, you are looking for MoHRE, the federal authority that oversees private-sector labour matters. For a business owner, it governs work permits, wage payments and Emiratisation duties that depend on your headcount and sector.

What does the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation do for Abu Dhabi employers?

MoHRE is the federal authority behind private-sector labour matters. When people search for the “Abu Dhabi labour office”, they usually mean MoHRE’s presence and services in the emirate. For employers, the practical touchpoints are clear. You obtain a UAE national work permit from MoHRE, sign an employment contract in line with MoHRE’s regulations, and pay salaries through the Wages Protection System. That system is the electronic route for paying salaries, so payments leave a clear record.

MoHRE also has an Emiratisation role. The u.ae portal says it is working with the Cabinet Secretariat to measure the Emiratisation indicator in the private sector. The official u.ae guidance on Emiratis in the private sector sets this out. Treat it as one part of the compliance picture rather than a full description of every body involved.

This page is not an official MoHRE channel. For transactions, use the official MoHRE website and app. Al Ain Business Center supports PRO and visa processing. PRO services mean a provider handles government paperwork and submissions for your company.

Does your company have to hire Emiratis?

It depends on your headcount and your sector. The excerpts we have cover two bands, summarised below.

The 50+ employee rule

The Cabinet approved a 2 per cent annual increase in Emiratisation for skilled jobs in private establishments with 50 or more employees, targeting a 10 per cent overall increase by 2026. The same source mentions incentives for establishments that perform well in training and employing citizens. Non-compliant companies pay AED 6,000 a month for every citizen not employed according to the target, starting in 2023. That contribution rises by AED 1,000 each year until 2026.

The 20 to 49 employee rule

Smaller companies are not automatically exempt. Since 2024, companies with 20 to 49 workers have been required to hire at least one UAE citizen by the end of 2024 and one more by the end of 2025. This applies only to the 14 listed sectors:

• information and communications
• financial and insurance activities
• real estate activities
• professional, scientific and technical activities
• administrative and support services
• education
• healthcare and social work
• arts and entertainment
• mining and quarrying
• manufacturing
• construction
• wholesale and retail trade
• transportation and warehousing
• hospitality services

Those dates have now passed, so check your current position with MoHRE rather than assuming you are covered.

A quick self-check

1. Count your current workforce honestly, including the roles you plan to add.
2. Compare your activity with the 14-sector list above.
3. Ask MoHRE how it classifies your activity and workforce.

The excerpts do not cover exemptions, free zone treatment or targets beyond 2026. If you are weighing a free zone, our guides on Dubai freezone company setup for foreigners and Hamriyah Free Zone setup explain the licensing side. Whether the same Emiratisation rules apply to your licence type is a question for MoHRE.

What are your obligations once you hire an Emirati?

Hiring is only the start. When you employ an Emirati, you must give them a suitable workplace, the necessary tools and the minimum required training, qualification and empowerment to do the job. You must also do the following:

• Obtain a UAE national work permit from MoHRE.
• Conclude an employment contract in line with MoHRE’s regulations.
• Pay the salary through the Wages Protection System.

MoHRE has set the minimum monthly wage for Emiratis in the private sector at AED 6,000, effective 1 January 2026. You must register the Emirati in the pensions and social security system and start contributing within a month of the work permit being issued. You must also report any contract amendments that may affect the employee’s eligibility for Nafis benefits. The u.ae page on employer obligations lists these duties.

The Nafis student contract

A national student employment contract is one route to consider. It is made between an employer and a student enrolled in a programme approved and supported by the Emirati Cadre Competitiveness Council (Nafis), within professions and specialties set by MoHRE. The position is full-time with a salary of at least AED 4,000 per month. The contract lasts one year and is renewable until graduation, by agreement between employer and student. After graduation, the student must stay employed at the same firm for at least as long as the study period, in a profession within the same specialty. The contract counts toward your required Emiratisation percentage. The u.ae page on employment contract models describes it in full.

How do you deal with the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation Abu Dhabi labour office in practice?

Work through the process in order. It saves rework.

1. Confirm your classification and headcount. Know your size band and sector before you plan any hire.
2. Prepare your paperwork. That means the employment contract in line with MoHRE’s regulations and the UAE national work permit application.
3. Submit through official MoHRE channels. Use the MoHRE website or app, not third-party pages.

The sources we hold do not give office addresses, opening hours or fees. Check the current service list and service-centre locations on mohre.gov.ae before you travel or pay anything.

What to confirm with MoHRE before you act

• Current service fees for each transaction.
• The exact documents required.
• Processing times.
• Whether your licence type, mainland or free zone, falls under the same rules.

Mainland jurisdiction means your company is licensed by the emirate’s economic authority and can trade across the local market. If you are comparing licence routes, who issues business licences in Dubai explains the difference between DET and free zones.

PRO provider or in-house?

Doing it yourself can work for a single, simple transaction. A PRO provider tends to make more sense in a few situations:

• you are filing several permits at once
• you are setting up a new company
• you are making your first Emirati hire

Setup usually involves visas as well. Our guides to investor visa requirements in Abu Dhabi and in Al Ain cover that side. If you are weighing office arrangements early on, see virtual office costs in Abu Dhabi, virtual offices in Al Ain and starting a Dubai business without office space. Confirm separately how your chosen arrangement affects labour registration.

Common mistakes and a decision framework

Most compliance gaps come from small assumptions. Watch for these:

• Assuming under 50 staff means exempt. Companies with 20 to 49 workers in the 14 listed sectors have their own requirement.
• Ignoring the sector list. Your activity may fall within it even if you do not think of it that way.
• Missing the January contribution timing. The source ties the contributions to January 2025 and January 2026.
• Delaying social security registration. The deadline is within a month of the work permit being issued.
• Paying outside the Wages Protection System. The source says salary must be paid through it.
• Relying on outdated figures. The minimum wage for Emiratis is AED 6,000 from 1 January 2026, so older wage figures may be wrong.

Which route fits you?

Next steps

1. Audit your headcount and sector.
2. Budget for the AED 6,000 minimum monthly wage for Emiratis.
3. Consider Nafis student contracts, which count toward your Emiratisation percentage.
4. Speak to a licensed PRO or adviser about your specific case.

If you would like help making sense of the rules, Al Ain Business Center can walk you through your options and support PRO and visa processing. Book a free consultation to start planning your hiring with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation Abu Dhabi Labour Office

What is the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE)?

MoHRE is the federal authority behind private-sector labour matters, and people searching for the Abu Dhabi labour office usually mean its services in the emirate. For employers, it issues UAE national work permits and sets the rules for employment contracts and the Wages Protection System. It also works with the Cabinet Secretariat to measure the Emiratisation indicator in the private sector.

Do companies with fewer than 50 employees need to hire Emiratis?

Not automatically exempt. Companies with 20 to 49 workers in 14 listed sectors were required to hire at least one UAE citizen by end of 2024 and one more by end of 2025. Check your current position and whether your activity or licence type is covered with MoHRE.

What is the minimum wage for Emiratis in the private sector?

MoHRE has set the minimum monthly wage for Emiratis working in the private sector at AED 6,000, effective 1 January 2026. Older wage figures may therefore be out of date.

What happens if my company does not meet Emiratisation targets?

For companies with 50 or more employees, non-compliant firms have paid AED 6,000 monthly for every citizen not employed according to the target since 2023, rising by AED 1,000 annually until 2026. For 20 to 49 workers in the listed sectors, contributions are AED 96,000 in January 2025 for missing the 2024 hire and AED 108,000 in January 2026 for missing the two 2025 hires.

How do I get a work permit for a UAE national from MoHRE?

Employers must obtain a UAE national work permit from MoHRE and conclude an employment contract in accordance with MoHRE’s regulations. The sources we hold do not give fees, documents or processing times, so check the official MoHRE website or app before you apply.

Does a Nafis student employment contract count toward Emiratisation?

Yes, the national student employment contract is included in the Emiratisation percentage required by the company. It is a full-time position with a salary of at least AED 4,000 per month. The contract lasts one year and is renewable until graduation.

Sources

1. u.ae
2. u.ae (2)