# What is Nafis?

Nafis is the UAE federal programme that supports Emirati employment in the private sector through salary support, pension contributions and training subsidies.

## Nafis explained

Run by the Emirati Human Resources Competitiveness Council, Nafis exists to make private-sector employment competitive with public-sector roles for UAE nationals, through salary top-ups, pension contribution support and training schemes.

Registration on Nafis is how Emirati hires are recognised against an employer's Emiratisation target. An Emirati employee who is not registered may not count toward the quota even if genuinely employed.

## Related terms

- [Emiratisation](https://neuralhr.ai/en/hr-glossary/emiratisation): Emiratisation is the UAE policy requiring private-sector employers with 50 or more skilled staff to raise the Emirati share of skilled roles by 2% each year, reaching 10% by the end of 2026.
- [MOHRE](https://neuralhr.ai/en/hr-glossary/mohre): MOHRE is the UAE federal ministry that regulates private-sector employment, issuing work permits and labour cards and enforcing the Wage Protection System and Emiratisation quotas.

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Canonical page: https://neuralhr.ai/en/hr-glossary/nafis
Last verified: 2026-08-01

Published by NeuralHR.AI — AI-native HR and payroll platform for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and India.