Monthly salary support, no cap on child allowance: UAE announces new Nafis benefits
The UAE has announced major new family benefits under the Nafis programme while shifting the next phase of the initiative towards high-value private sector jobs in sectors such as banking, artificial intelligence and real estate after extending the scheme to 2040.
Among the biggest changes announced on Tuesday was the removal of the cap on child allowance payments for Emiratis working in the private sector, alongside new support for children of Emirati mothers and wives of Emirati men employed in private companies.
Officials also said the programme's next chapter will focus more on skills, competency and strategic roles rather than simply increasing employment numbers. “Our focus today is on competency,” said Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary-General of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council.
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“When we talk about the quality, we have selected critical positions and also the business continuity that will be focusing on the demand that are required and the readiness of our resources to be deployed in the private sector.” When asked which sectors are a priority, he cited banking, AI, real estate and other industries that contribute to the economy.
The updated package includes a series of family-focused measures aligned with the UAE's Year of Family 2026
New family support measures
The updated package includes a series of family-focused measures aligned with the UAE's Year of Family 2026. The Child Allowance Scheme for Emiratis in the private sector will now be paid without any upper limit on the number of children. Previously, support was capped at four children.
The programme will also provide:
Up to Dh3,000 monthly salary support for children of Emirati mothers working in the private sector
Up to Dh3,000 monthly support for wives of Emirati men working in the private sector, subject to eligibility criteria
Continued pension contribution support for Emiratis employed in private firms
More than 38,000 children have already benefited from the Child Allowance Scheme since Nafis launched, according to officials. Officials said the aim is to strengthen family stability, improve quality of life and ease household financial pressures.
Salary support changes from September 2026
The revised framework will come into effect for new beneficiaries from September 2026. Existing recipients will be transitioned gradually over a period of up to three years. Under the new mechanism, some support levels will reduce by Dh500 every six months until they reach the updated thresholds. A minimum salary threshold of Dh6,000 has also been standardised for eligibility across supported categories.
Officials also said Emiratis working in free zones whose salaries are below the Dh6,000 threshold will be given a transition period while receiving phased support. More than 14,000 Emiratis are currently working in free zones through Nafis.
Shift from quantity to quality jobs
After the first phase focused heavily on boosting Emirati hiring numbers, officials said the next stage will prioritise sustainable careers and future-ready sectors. “Our focus today is on quality and not quantity.”
Al Mazrouei added that Nafis is designed to build talent for the private sector rather than act as a permanent subsidy. “Nafis is not a social support programme; it was created to develop and enable young UAE nationals to be part of the private sector.”
Around 7,700 Emiratis have also completed training and employment-readiness programmes under Nafis, while about 3,500 joined healthcare talent initiatives.
Target exceeded early
Since launching in September 2021, Nafis has helped employ more than 176,000 Emiratis. Of those, around 152,000 are currently employed across more than 32,000 establishments. The programme had originally aimed to place 170,000 Emiratis in private sector jobs over five years, meaning the target was exceeded ahead of schedule.
Women accounted for 74 per cent of beneficiaries, while officials said interest in private sector careers among Emiratis rose from 15 per cent to 58 per cent during the programme’s first phase.
Why extend to 2040?
Al Mazrouei said the long-term extension offers certainty to workers, employers and the wider economy. “Our leadership have a long visionary,” he said, adding that the extension provides “more security for the community, more security for the employer, and also for the young talented”.
He added that future efforts will also focus on preparing students earlier for private sector careers, including outreach at school level to help shift perceptions about working outside government.
