Emiratization is a policy aimed at reducing reliance on expatriate labor and increasing employment of UAE nationals in the private sector through quotas. It was introduced in 2000 and initially focused on the banking and financial sectors. While government jobs provide better benefits, UAE nationals make up only about 2% of the private sector workforce due to perceptions of lower productivity, skills, and English ability among nationals. Emiratization policies have since imposed quotas, fees for employing expats, and incentives for hiring nationals to encourage greater private sector participation.