Nafis Subsidies: Recover Up to AED 600,000 per Emirati Hire

While companies focus on avoiding fines, many leave thousands of dirhams of government support on the table for hiring nationals. Here's how to recover it.

What Nafis offers

Nafis provides salary support, pension contributions and allowances for Emiratis working in the private sector, with amounts that can reach up to AED 600,000 per employee over several years. The core condition is employing Emirati nationals on proper contracts.

Why companies miss it

Nafis support is not automatic — it must be identified, applied for, and maintained. Without a system tracking eligibility, HR teams simply don't notice how much they qualify for, or lose it when conditions lapse.

Turning a cost into an investment

When you factor in Nafis support, the cost of Emiratisation drops sharply — and can even become a net-positive when paired with avoiding the AED 108,000-per-seat fine. Compliance stops being a cost centre and starts finding you money.

How to find what you're owed

A tool like Dira scans your workforce against eligibility rules and surfaces the Nafis support you qualify for but haven't claimed — alongside monitoring your fine exposure.