The first meeting of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (ETCC) in 2023, chaired by H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and attended by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, addressed the achievements of the NAFIS program since its establishment in terms of qualifying, supporting and enabling UAE nationals in the private sector.

The ETCC reported that over 50,000 UAE nationals were employed in the private sector in 2022. According to NAFIS data, more than 28,700 UAE citizens had entered the private sector since the program’s inception by the end of 2022, while 32,566 people had benefited from NAFIS’ financial support programs, and over 8,000 companies have reached the 2% Emiratisation target or more by the end of 2022.

On the other hand, over 7,000 businesses have signed up as partners on the NAFIS portal, and 17,481 job openings have been announced there. Additionally, since its inception, NAFIS has signed 24 agreements with strategic partners, including six universities implementing the National Healthcare Programme and four with partners in the semi-government sector, to create more than 11,000 jobs through suppliers and outsourcing firms.

The ETCC Board reviewed some of the policies and decisions made since the launch of NAFIS, the most significant of which included the cabinet’s decision to establish the Emiratisation targets and impose fines on establishments that are not committed to achieving the set targets, and transfer them to the NAFIS Fund.

During the meeting, the Board also adopted 2023’s Emiratisation targets, intended to increase the number of UAE citizens employed in the private sector in light of businesses’ commitment to achieving the targeted Emiratisation rate (4%) by the end of 2023. The goal will be attained by 2026 with a 2% annual rise (10%).