A Chief Human Resources Officer to build the organisation behind the growth

A fractional CHRO is a senior HR leader who provides strategic people management to your business on a part-time basis. Abu Dhabi SMEs need fractional CHROs because the regulatory landscape spans two regimes - the ADGM Employment Regulations 2024 on Al Maryah and Reem Islands and UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 on the mainland - alongside MOHRE Emiratisation targets, end-of-service gratuity obligations, and ICV requirements. Most SMEs cannot justify a full-time HR director but face real compliance risk and talent challenges without one.

MOHRE Emiratisation quotas apply to mainland firms with 50 or more staff - Emirati representation in skilled roles must reach 10% by the end of 2026 - with selected sectors pulling in 20-49-staff firms, which must now employ at least two Emiratis. The quotas do not apply inside ADGM or other free zones, and Nafis is the federal platform that part-funds Emirati salaries rather than the quota itself. Our fractional CHROs map your exposure against your entity structure, build realistic Emiratisation hiring plans, and structure senior roles - including company-to-company arrangements that consume no quota headcount - so you stay compliant without distorting your team.

The ADGM Employment Regulations 2024, effective 1 April 2025, removed the two-year cap on end-of-service gratuity - making every permanent senior hire an uncapped accruing liability - and formalised non-employee consultancy and secondment permits of 3, 6 and 12 months that confer no employment rights. Our fractional CHROs align your contracts to the regime, quantify your gratuity accrual, and structure roles so you carry the right capability without the wrong liability.

Our fractional CHROs help with: ADGM and federal employment-law compliance and policy development, MOHRE Emiratisation and Nafis planning, gratuity provisioning and end-of-service obligations, ICV-aware headcount planning for GRE and ADNOC suppliers, employee retention strategies, recruitment and hiring process improvement, performance management systems, and building HR infrastructure that scales with your business.

Consider a fractional CHRO when your business has 10 or more employees and growing, faces high turnover or recruitment challenges against the sovereign-capital and GRE ecosystem, has no formal HR policies or procedures, needs Emiratisation planning on a mainland entity, is reconciling ADGM and federal employment obligations, or when the founder is spending more than five hours per week on people management issues.

HR consultants typically work on specific projects like policy creation or compliance audits. A fractional CHRO provides ongoing strategic leadership, becoming part of your team to align people strategy with business growth. They take ownership of culture, employee engagement, and organisational development while handling day-to-day HR challenges - not just delivering reports and recommendations.

Yes. Onshore employees accrue gratuity under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 - 21 days of basic pay per year for the first five years, then 30 days thereafter - while the ADGM Employment Regulations 2024 removed the two-year cap entirely for ADGM-based staff. Our fractional CHROs ensure your provisioning is accurate, your contracts reflect both regimes, and your workforce planning accounts for the liability - keeping you compliant while managing the commercial impact.

Our fractional CHROs integrate with your business by working closely with founders on people strategy, providing training and guidance to managers handling day-to-day people issues, establishing clear processes and communication channels, and being available for urgent employee relations matters. The goal is to professionalise your people management without bureaucracy - practical systems that work for your stage and size.