{"id":113938,"date":"2026-04-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/saudi-uae-double-down-on-talent-nationalization\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T00:00:00","slug":"saudi-uae-double-down-on-talent-nationalization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/menaplus\/2026\/04\/10\/saudi-uae-double-down-on-talent-nationalization\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi, UAE double down on talent nationalization"},"content":{"rendered":"

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are doubling down on their talent nationalization drives<\/strong>, with each issuing directives earlier this week to expand programs designed to increase the number of nationals employed by the private sector. <\/p>\n

In Saudi Arabia, the Human Resources Ministry expanded its 100% Saudization mandate <\/strong>to cover 69 job types.<\/strong> The decree, which went into effect on Sunday, applies to every private sector entity operating in the Kingdom that employs one or more workers in these targeted roles. Businesses subject to the decree are now required to immediately audit their front-line staff and have until 4 October to restructure (and localize) middle management and specialist roles. <\/p>\n

Which jobs are being impacted? <\/strong>Let\u2019s just say you\u2019re going to see fewer Egyptian HR managers and institutional development managers, less Lebanese and Egyptian talent in public relations, and fewer Indian recruitment specialists. Looking for a general administrative assistant? Bank on hiring a Saudi. .<\/p>\n

The cost mitigation strategy:<\/strong> Replacing expatriate back-office staff with Saudi nationals will likely trigger an immediate wage premium, making the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) a critical pressure valve for some companies. Hadaf \u2014 which poured SAR 8.3 bn into private-sector wage subsidies and training in 2025<\/a> \u2014 will subsidize a portion of new Saudi hires' salaries for up to two years. We expect the April mandate to trigger an inflow of new applications, with SMEs already making up 94% of the fund\u2019s beneficiaries last year.<\/p>\n

MEANWHILE- The UAE <\/strong>is extending<\/a><\/strong> its <\/strong>Nafis Emiratization program<\/a><\/strong> through 2040 to <\/strong>expand <\/strong>support for Emirati talent<\/strong> and competitiveness in the private sector. Under the new program updates, women working in the private sector \u2014 whether Emiratis or women married to Emirati nationals \u2014 will be eligible for a new financial support program. The financial support will also be expanded to an unlimited number of these women\u2019s children (after initially being capped at four), with the allowance per child increased to AED 800, from AED 600 previously. <\/p>\n

Background: <\/strong>Launched in 2021, the Nafis program is aimed at increasing the number of<\/a>Emiratis<\/a> employed in the private sector, with the goal of having 75k highly-trained Emiratis fill up 10% of positions in private firms across the country by 2026. Since its launch, the number of Emirati nationals working in the private sector climbed by 325%<\/a> as of last August.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saudi is moving in on more administrative and middle management roles, while the UAE is rolling out incentives for Emirati women to join the private sector<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":113939,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_primary_brand":0,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2683],"tags":[2538,2563,2682,2562],"brand":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"class_list":["post-113938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-talent","tag-enterpriseam","tag-saudi-arabia","tag-talent","tag-uae","wpautop","entry"],"acf":{"mongo_id":"993ac47b-5640-40d9-8db2-64edef3be397","order":"5","is_powered_by":false,"story_type":"1","photo_url":"https:\/\/ent.news\/2022\/6\/238.jpg","photo_position":"above","homepage_title":"","full_issue_title":"No Egyptians (or Indians or Lebanese) need apply\u2026","related_issue":[113929],"teaser":"Saudi is moving in on more administrative and middle management roles, while the UAE is rolling out incentives for Emirati women to join the private sector"},"yoast_head":"\nSaudi, UAE double down on talent nationalization - 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