UAE Salary Hike: From January 2026, private sector employers across the UAE will need to meet a higher wage bar for emirati employees or risk having work permits blocked and Emiratisation counts affected, as the government moves to tighten enforcement around national employment and pay standards.
A new wage floor for emirati workers
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The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has announced that the minimum wage for emirati citizens working in the private sector will increase to Dh6,000, effective January 1, 2026. The move is aimed at strengthening emiratisation outcomes and improving job stability for nationals employed outside the public sector.
The announcement was made through the ministry’s digital platforms, with the update first appearing on the MoHRE smart application on December 27. The revised minimum wage will apply to all private sector services related to the issuance, renewal, or amendment of Emirati work permits.
How the new rule will be applied
From January 1, 2026, any application for an emirati work permit that lists a salary below Dh6,000 will not be processed or issued. Employers will also be prevented from printing or submitting applications for the issuance, renewal, or amendment of citizen work permits if the registered salary does not meet the minimum threshold.
MoHRE said it will send automated alert notifications through its service channels and the MoHRE smart application to inform employers of the new requirement. Employers will be prompted to adjust salaries to ensure compliance before applications can move forward.
Deadlines and enforcement measures
The ministry has set June 30, 2026, as the deadline for employers to correct salaries that fall below the new minimum.
If an emirati employee’s salary is not updated by that date, enforcement measures will take effect from July 1, 2026. These include excluding the employee from Emiratisation quota calculations until the salary is corrected, and placing a restriction on the establishment that blocks the issuance of new work permits due to Emirati salaries being below Dh6,000.
Scope of the wage increase
MoHRE clarified that the Dh6,000 minimum wage applies only to emirati work permits with a two-year validity, whether newly issued, renewed, or amended, and that salaries must meet the requirement from January 1, 2026.
Previously, the ministry required emiratis hired from January 1, 2025, to be paid a minimum salary of Dh5,000 by the end of February 2025. Failure to meet that earlier requirement meant affected employees would not be counted toward Emiratisation targets, and establishments could face restrictions on issuing new work permits until salaries were adjusted.
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