Abu dhabi: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Prevention, has announced a significant amendment to the Emiratisation strategy within the private healthcare sector. The mandated annual Emiratisation rate of 2 percent will now require that roles allocated to UAE citizens be equally split between specialized healthcare professions and other skilled jobs within healthcare facilities.
According to Emirates News Agency, private healthcare facilities, like all other private sector establishments employing 50 workers or more, are mandated to achieve a 2 percent annual growth in the Emiratisation rates of their skilled jobs. This growth must be split equally, with half achieved in the first half of the year and the remaining half in the latter half. The new amendment maintains this mechanism while specifying that the nature of jobs for Emiratisation must now equally include both skilled roles and specialized healthcare jobs.
Farida Al Ali, Assistant Undersecretary of National Talents at MoHRE, explained that this modification follows a comprehensive evaluation of private healthcare jobs conducted in collaboration with sector partners. The aim is to support national talents, improve the quality of private healthcare services, and ensure sustainability by supplying the sector with specialized Emirati healthcare professionals. Al Ali urged healthcare facilities to assess their current situation and formulate plans to comply with the new targets, especially those that have already met the 1 percent growth in skilled jobs required for the first half of 2026.
She also encouraged healthcare facilities to post job vacancies on the Nafis platform to access the pool of national talents registered there, who are qualified to fill healthcare positions. She advised establishments to adhere to approved health professions when appointing Emirati citizens.
Abdullah Ahli, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, affirmed that the decision aligns with government efforts to strengthen Emirati talent in the private healthcare sector. This initiative supports the UAE's vision to build a sustainable healthcare ecosystem driven by qualified professionals capable of meeting future demands. It also enhances the attractiveness of healthcare professions to Emiratis and encourages private providers to recruit and retain national talent.
He highlighted that allocating 50 percent of annual Emiratisation targets to healthcare-related roles is part of a broader strategy to expand UAE nationals' participation in the healthcare workforce. This creates access to high-value career opportunities in a sector defined by stability and growth. Ahli emphasized the importance of adhering to the approved healthcare professions framework to integrate national talent into meaningful career pathways that enhance the quality of services and strengthen the competitiveness of the UAE healthcare sector.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation plans to resume assessments at the beginning of 2027 to ensure compliance with the requirement for Emirati professionals to be split equally between skilled and specialized roles. Non-compliant establishments will face financial contributions.
By the end of 2025, the total number of Emirati professionals in the private healthcare sector exceeded 8,800, with Emirati women accounting for 82 percent. The extension of the Nafis programme until 2040 reaffirms the Emiratisation strategy as a national priority aimed at empowering Emiratis and enhancing their competitiveness in various economic sectors.