Head of Emiratisation

Client of NicheHR Global; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

Client of NicheHR Global is seeking a UAE National to lead its Emiratization agenda as Head or Manager of Emiratization. The role focuses on strategic workforce planning, regulatory compliance with MOHRE, and sustainable Emirati talent development across the Group.

The successful candidate will work across legal entities to assess classification status, plan national hiring by category, and protect compliance while supporting business continuity.

Qualifications

• UAE National with valid UAE passport and Family Book.
• Proven Emiratization, government relations, talent acquisition, workforce planning or HR compliance experience.
• Strong knowledge of MOHRE regulations, UAE Labour Law, Emiratization policy, WPS and Nafis.
• Ability to plan hiring targets and budgets aligned to regulatory targets.
• Experience working with senior stakeholders and external relationships.
• Strong analytical, forecasting, compliance reporting and data-driven decision making.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to design practical sustainable programmes for retention and development.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the Emiratization strategy in line with business objectives and government regulations.
• Establish annual category-driven Emiratization hiring plans and monitor progress against MOHRE targets.
• Partner with business leaders to identify UAE Nationals opportunities across functions.
• Build sustainable pipelines of Emirati talent through proactive forward-looking workforce planning.

Skills

Emiratization strategy

Stakeholder management

Workforce planning

Regulatory compliance

Talent development

MOHRE/Nafis knowledge

Job description

Job Title: Head Manager of Emiratization

Location: Dubai, UAE

Level: Head or Manager based on the selected candidate s experience

Function: Human Resources Emiratization amp Government Relations

Reporting to: CHRO Head of HR to be confirmed

Eligibility: This role is open exclusively to UAE Nationals. A valid UAE National Emirati passport and Family Book Khulasat Al Qaid are required as a mandatory eligibility condition.

Role Overview

Our client is seeking a UAE National to lead its Emiratization agenda as Head or Manager of Emiratization. The purpose of the role is to ensure the organisation consistently meets and proactively plans for Emiratization targets across the Group while remaining fully compliant with MOHRE regulations UAE Labour Law and the Nafis framework. This is a strategic role focused on workforce planning regulatory compliance and sustainable Emirati talent development. The successful candidate will work across legal entities and trade licences to assess classification status, plan national hiring by category, protect compliance and support business continuity.

MOHRE Classification & Category-Driven Workforce Planning

Command of the MOHRE company classification system

• Category 1: full compliance with Labour Law the Wage Protection System WPS and diversity rules meeting or exceeding Emiratization targets this category is associated with preferential service fees priority access to certain government services and contracts and Nafis-linked incentives
• Category 2: the standard registration tier for compliant companies subject to further sub-classification based on skilled-workforce percentage and nationality diversity
• Category 3: applied to non-compliant companies with higher fees and penalties and restricted access to services

Command of the benefits, targets and penalties

• Targets: for mainland companies with 50 skilled employees the Emiratization target reaches 10 of skilled roles by end-2026 delivered through 2 annual increments with defined requirements also applying to smaller companies in designated sectors
• Penalties for shortfall: monthly financial contributions for each unfilled skilled Emirati position along with classification downgrades work-permit suspensions and restrictions on labour-file activity
• Penalties for non-genuine compliance: fines for fake or sham Emiratization plus suspension of Nafis support and recovery of subsidies
• Incentives to capture: Nafis salary support pension contributions training and career-development funding and the classification and fee benefits of higher compliance status

Translating classification into a hiring plan

Assess the organisation s current MOHRE classification and quota position across each relevant legal entity and trade licence and quantify the required skilled Emirati headcount per entity. Forecast gaps against targets ahead of MOHRE deadlines and build a category-optimised hiring plan sequencing roles and entities to protect classification and maximise incentives. Model the cost of compliance versus non-compliance including penalties avoided and fee savings to inform where and when to hire. Structure genuine sustainable Emirati roles with clear job content and development paths.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the Emiratization strategy in line with business objectives and government regulations.
• Establish annual category-driven Emiratization hiring plans and monitor progress against organisational and MOHRE targets.
• Partner with business leaders to identify suitable genuine opportunities for UAE Nationals across all functions.
• Build sustainable pipelines of Emirati talent through proactive forward-looking workforce planning.

Requirements

• UAE National with a valid UAE passport and Family Book
• Proven experience in Emiratization, government relations, talent acquisition, workforce planning or HR compliance
• Strong knowledge of MOHRE regulations UAE Labour Law Emiratization policy WPS and Nafis
• Demonstrated ability to build and execute hiring plans aligned to regulatory targets
• Experience working with senior stakeholders and influencing business leaders
• Ability to manage external relationships with government bodies universities and recruitment partners
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to forecast gaps track compliance and report on progress
• Excellent communication coordination and stakeholder-management skills
• Ability to design practical sustainable programmes that support retention and development