How Emiratisation counts in your ICV score
Short answer
An Emirati hire counts in a UAE In-Country Value (ICV) score in three places, under the formula run by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT). Emirati cost enters the numerator of the 50% cost component in full, where expatriate cost counts at 60%. It feeds the Emiratisation component (MoIAT spells it Emiratization), weighted 15% in the core formula. And Emirati headcount adds to the ICV Bonus. This is a separate test from the quota set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), which counts only Emiratis who meet MoHRE's conditions. The two results sit side by side and are never added: a quota position and an ICV score estimate.
Where an Emirati hire counts in the score
MoIAT publishes one weighting for goods manufacturers and one for service providers. In both, the core components are weighted 50, 25, 15 and 10, with bonuses on top. An Emirati hire acts on three parts of that structure.
MoIAT's published table is the authority for the bands inside the Emiratisation component, and it is linked in the sources below. This page reproduces the structure, not every band, because the bands are the part most likely to be revised.
| Part of the formula | Weight | How an Emirati hire acts on it |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Cost or Third Party Spend | 50% | Emirati cost enters the numerator in full. Expatriate cost enters at 60%. |
| Emiratisation component | 15% | Scored progressively on Emirati headcount and cost, in bands set in MoIAT's published table. |
| ICV Bonus | 5% | Carries an Emirati headcount element: WPS-enrolled Emiratis divided by 100, multiplied by 5%. |
The arithmetic
Every component is a ratio against the entity's own totals. The same hire is worth different points to two different companies, so no general points-per-hire figure is meaningful. Any figure you read for your own company is an estimate.
- The 50% cost component, numerator
(Qualifying cost or spend + Emirati cost + 60% of expat cost) ÷ Total costEmirati cost counts in full here as well as in the Emiratisation component, so one Emirati salary acts on the score in two places.- The Emirati headcount element of the ICV Bonus
(WPS-enrolled Emiratis ÷ 100) × 5%Headcount is of Emiratis enrolled in the Wage Protection System (WPS).
The quota and the ICV score are different tests
One hire moves two numbers, but they come from two rule sets and two regulators. Keep them apart.
- What is measured
- The quota compares counted Emiratis with the required number at a checkpoint. The ICV score measures Emirati cost and headcount as shares of the entity's totals for one financial year.
- Who counts
- For the quota, an Emirati needs a work permit, WPS pay, pension registration, a genuine contract and, from 1 July 2026, a wage of at least AED 6,000 a month. We have not found an AED 6,000 floor in MoIAT's guideline. One commercial site says it also affects ICV, which is unconfirmed. Ask your certifying body.
- The unit
- The quota is set per MoHRE establishment. An ICV certificate covers one trade licence.
- The result
- A quota position against a target, and an ICV score estimate. Auditro shows the two side by side and never adds them into one number.
Both tests look at the same records
WPS payroll, pension registration and the employment contract matter to both. MoHRE tests a quota hire on real wage, real work and subordination. A certifying body reads cost and headcount against audited financial statements.
Whether a record satisfies MoHRE or a certifying body is for them to decide. Auditro shows which records support a hire and which are still missing, and organises them for review. A hire made on paper to move either number is the subject of the fake Emiratisation penalties set out on the targets page.
See the effect of one planned hire
Enter your quota position and one planned hire in the Emirati hire calculator. It shows the quota shortfall and 2026 exposure beside the estimated ICV points, with the working shown. For the whole score, use the ICV calculator.
Common questions
Does hiring an Emirati increase my ICV score?
It can. Emirati cost counts in full in the numerator of the 50% cost component, it feeds the 15% Emiratisation component, and Emirati headcount adds to the ICV Bonus. How many points it adds depends on your own totals, so any figure is an estimate.
Is the Emiratisation quota part of the ICV score?
No. The quota is a MoHRE position against a target. The ICV score is a MoIAT formula result. One hire can move both, but they are separate results and are never added.
Does an Emirati paid below AED 6,000 count in the ICV score?
Unconfirmed. The AED 6,000 floor is a MoHRE quota rule, and we have not found it in MoIAT's guideline. One commercial site says it also affects ICV. Ask your certifying body.
How many ICV points does one Emirati hire add?
It depends on your totals, because every component is a ratio against your own figures. The Emirati hire calculator shows an estimate with the working, and the ICV calculator estimates the whole score.
Sources
Every factual claim on this page traces to one of these. Where a question is not settled by a primary source, this page says so rather than picking an answer.
Auditro provides ICV and Emiratisation planning and evidence workflows. It is not MoHRE or MoIAT, it does not file with MoHRE or Nafis, it is not a certifying body, it does not certify scores, and it does not guarantee compliance or tender outcomes. MoHRE's figure is the one that counts.