UAE’s Nafis extended: New salary support, family benefits, key changes explained
The UAE has extended the Nafis programme to 2040 and announced a new phase of updates that will begin from September 2026, including fresh family benefits, revised salary support and a stronger focus on skills-based jobs in strategic sectors.
Here is a simple guide to how the programme works, what changes next, and what it means for Emiratis working in the private sector.
What is Nafis?
Nafis is a federal programme launched in September 2021 to increase the number of Emiratis working in the private sector.
It was introduced as part of the UAE’s Projects of the 50 and originally backed by a Dh24 billion budget over five years.
The initiative offers salary support, child allowance, pensions support, training programmes, internships and career guidance to help Emiratis build careers outside the government sector.
Why was Nafis extended to 2040?
Officials said the extension gives long-term certainty to employees, employers and the wider economy.
It also signals a shift from short-term hiring targets towards building a sustainable Emirati talent pipeline for future industries.
Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary-General of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, said the extension offers “more security for the community, more security for the employer, and also for the young talented”.
What has Nafis achieved so far?
Since launching in 2021, the programme has:
Helped employ more than 176,000 Emiratis
Around 152,000 beneficiaries currently working in private companies
Reached more than 32,000 establishments
Surpassed its original target of 170,000 jobs ahead of schedule
Seen women account for 74 per cent of beneficiaries
Supported more than 38,000 children through the Child Allowance Scheme
Included more than 14,000 Emiratis working in free zones
Helped around 7,700 people through training and employment-readiness schemes
Enrolled about 3,500 Emiratis in healthcare talent programmes
What changes in September 2026?
A revised Nafis framework will start for new beneficiaries from September 2026.
Existing beneficiaries will move gradually to the updated system over a period of up to three years.
Officials said some support categories will reduce by Dh500 every six months until they reach the new approved levels.
What are the new family benefits of Nafis?
Several new measures were announced under the UAE’s Year of Family 2026.
No cap on child allowance
Eligible Emiratis in the private sector will receive child allowance with no upper limit on the number of children.
Previously, support was capped at four children.
Support for children of Emirati mothers
The programme will provide up to Dh3,000 monthly salary support for children of Emirati mothers working in the private sector, subject to eligibility criteria.
Support for wives of Emirati men
Eligible wives of Emirati men employed in the private sector can also receive up to Dh3,000 monthly support, depending on qualifying conditions.
What happens to salary support?
A minimum salary threshold of Dh6,000 has been standardised across eligible Nafis categories.
Under the updated framework, maximum monthly salary support can reach:
Dh6,000 for bachelor’s degree holders
Dh5,000 for diploma holders
Dh4,000 for secondary school graduates
For some below-secondary categories, support depends on marital status and dependants.
What about free zone workers?
Officials said Emiratis working in free zones and certain sectors outside the direct scope of labour and banking regulators whose salaries are below Dh6,000 will receive phased support while employers adjust salaries to the approved minimum.
More than 14,000 Emiratis are already working in free zones through Nafis.
What is Nafis 2.0 focusing on now?
Officials said the next phase will focus on quality jobs, not just quantity.
That means building Emirati talent in sectors that add value to the economy and need future-ready skills.
When asked which sectors are priorities, Al Mazrouei cited:
Banking
Artificial intelligence
Real estate
Other strategic growth sectors
He said: “Our focus today is on competency.”
Is Nafis just financial support?
Officials stressed that Nafis is not a social support programme.
Instead, they said it was designed to help Emiratis enter private sector careers, gain skills and become competitive long-term employees.
Beyond salary support, Nafis also funds:
Professional training
International certifications
Internship opportunities
Hiring support for fresh graduates
Career guidance programmes
Will students be targeted earlier?
Yes. Officials said future efforts will also include outreach at school level to help students understand private sector careers earlier and shift traditional preferences for government jobs.
What should current beneficiaries do now?
Current Nafis beneficiaries do not need to panic.
The transition will be phased over several years, and many changes are expected to happen automatically.
Employees should monitor updates through:
Nafis portal
Employers’ HR teams
Official announcements
Bottom line
The first phase of Nafis was about getting more Emiratis into private sector jobs.
The next phase appears to be about keeping them there, helping families, and moving more nationals into higher-value sectors that will shape the UAE economy until 2040.
