In line with the UAE Emiratisation requirements for mainland companies with more than 20 employees to hire Emirati staff, all UAE mainland companies are required to register their UAE National employees with the relevant national pension scheme in their location.
For UAE National / Emirati employees working in Dubai, employers must register with the General Pension & Social Security Authority (GPSSA).
For UAE National / Emirati employees working in Abu Dhabi, employers must register with the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund (ADPF).
In both cases, a governmental or private sector employer must register UAE National employees with the Authority no later than one month (30 days) from their joining date.
What are the GPSSA and the ADPF?
The GPSSA and the ADPF are both government entities responsible for managing contributions, pensions and end-of-service benefits for UAE nationals working in or retired from the government and private sector in the Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively.
What are the pension contributions for UAE Nationals?
- General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA) The monthly GPSSA pension contributions total 26% of an employee's contribution account salary, of which the employee is required to contribute 11% and the employer is required to contribute 15%. To encourage the recruitment of UAE nationals in the private sector, the government will contribute 2.5% of a private sector employer's share for working Emirati nationals whose contribution account salary is less than AED20,000. If the contribution account salary exceeds AED20,000, the employer is liable to pay the full 15% contribution.
- Abu Dhabi Pension Fund (ADPF)
The monthly ADPF pension contributions vary depending on the members joining date. New Active Members are anyone whose employment start date is on or after 1 December 2023 and who have not previously been registered with the ADPF. Anyone who is working and already registered with ADPF will follow the In-Service Active Members contribution as per below:- New Active Members (Total 26%): Employee (11%) and Employer (15%)
- In-Service Active Members (Total 20%): Employee (5%) and Employer (15%)
- For members working in the private sector, the wage specified in the employment contract can be up to AED100,000 (New Active Members) and AED150,000 (In-Service Active Members).
How can Sovereign assist?
Our Middle East HR team has extensive experience of registering UAE National employees' pensions with both the GPSSA and the ADPF, as well as providing continued portal maintenance support.
For more information on the process and document requirements, please visit:
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.