The United Arab Emirates has announced a significant labor policy update establishing a Dh6,000 minimum wage requirement for Emirati nationals employed within the private sector. This landmark decision, formally disclosed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre), is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
The policy directive was initially communicated through the ministry’s official smart application on December 27, 2025, with subsequent clarifications provided via their social media channels. The updated wage threshold will become a mandatory condition for all processes involving citizen work permits, including new issuances, renewals, and amendments.
According to the ministerial guidelines, employers will receive official notifications through Mohre’s service channels and smart application platforms, alerting them to the new financial obligation. From the implementation date forward, any application for an Emirati work permit will be automatically rejected if the registered salary falls below the mandated Dh6,000 threshold.
The regulation establishes a compliance grace period extending through June 30, 2026. Organizations failing to adjust salaries to meet the new standard by this deadline will face enforcement measures beginning July 1, 2026. Penalties include exclusion of non-compliant employees from official Emiratisation quota calculations and restrictions on new work permit issuance for the entire establishment.
Mohre specifically clarified that the wage increase applies exclusively to citizen work permits with standard two-year validity periods. This development follows previous wage adjustments that required Emiratis hired from January 2025 to receive at least Dh5,000 monthly by February 2025, with similar compliance mechanisms.