Monthly salary support, no cap on child allowance: UAE announces new Nafis benefits
The UAE also announced major new family benefits under the Nafis programme during the summit, and is now refocusing on creating high-value private sector jobs — in areas like banking, artificial intelligence and real estate — after extending it to 2040.
One of the biggest adjustments, announced on Tuesday, was scrapping a cap on child allowance payments for Emiratis employed in the private sector and additional assistance to children born to Emirati mothers and wives of UAE men with jobs in private firms.
They also said the next stage of the programme is going to focus more on skills, competency and strategic roles rather than just boosting numbers in employment. “Our focus is on competency now,” said Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary-General of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council.
“When we talk about the quality, we have now identified critical positions and also the business continuity that will be focusing on the demand that is needed and preparedness of our resources to be deployed in the private sector. Asked which sectors were a priority, he named banking, artificial intelligence, real estate and other sectors that could help the economy.
New family support measures
The revised package includes a suite of family-friendly measures in support of the UAE's Year of Family 2026. The Child Allowance scheme for Emiratis in the private sector will now be payable without a ceiling on the number of children. Support had previously been limited to a maximum of four children.
The programme will also provide:
-
Salary support of up to Dh3,000 a month for children of Emirati mothers in the private sector
-
Monthly support of up to Dh3,000 for wives of Emirati men in the private sector, if eligible
-
Long-term support of pension contributions for Emiratis in private sector
Officials said that so far, more than 38 thousand children have benefitted from the Child Allowance Scheme since Nafis was launched. Officials said the goal is to strengthen family stability and improve quality of life and reduce household financial pressures.
Changes to salary support from September 2026
Eligible beneficiaries will be required to follow the new framework starting in September 2026. Current recipients will be shifted over a phase-in period of up to three years. Support will be reduced but under the new mechanism, some support levels will only fall by Dh500 every six months until they reach the updated thresholds. A minimum salary limit of Dh6,000 has also been standardised for eligibility in the supported categories.
Emiratis with salaries below the Dh6,000 threshold working in free zones will also be given a transition period while receiving support gradually over six months, officials added. Currently, Nafis has more than 14,000 Emiratis in the free zones.
The shift from quantity jobs to quality jobs
Following an initial phase that was heavily geared towards increasing the numbers of Emiratis in employment, officials said the next stage of the initiative would focus on sustainable careers and sectors ready for the future. “Today, we are focused on quality and not quantity.”
Al Mazrouei also said that Nafis aims to develop talent for the private sector rather than serve as an irreversible subsidy. “Insaf is not a social support programme; it was established to develop and help realise young UAE nationals’ participation in the private sector.”
The number of Emiratis who have completed training and employment-readiness programmes under Nafis now stands at around 7,700, while nearly 3,500 participated in healthcare talent initiatives.
Target exceeded early
Since its launch in September 2021, Nafis has supported the employment of more than 176,000 Emiratis. Of those, more than 152,000 are currently employed at over 32,000 establishments. The programme initially sought to place 170,000 Emiratis in private sector jobs within five years, meaning the target was exceeded ahead of schedule.
Some 74 per cent of beneficiaries were women and officials said interest in private sector jobs among Emiratis ( began ) found to have increased from 15 per cent before the programme factors competition stability wage level.
Why extend to 2040?
Al Mazrouei said the long-term extension provides certainty for workers, employers and the broader economy. “The reality is our leadership has a long visionary,” he said, adding the extension offers “more security for the community, more security for the employer (and) as well as for the young talented”.
Future efforts, he added, will also seek to prepare students earlier for jobs in the private sector, with outreach earlier in school to help change any perceptions about working outside of government.
Comments