PureHealth to Hire 250 Emirati Graduates Under Nafis Healthcare Programme

The hires will come through the National Healthcare Programme, one of the main initiatives under Nafis, which places students in healthcare institutions with mentorship, training and a route to employment during or after their studies. The agreement runs on a three-year roadmap from 2026 to 2028.

For PureHealth, the region's largest listed healthcare group, the deal ties its staffing to the government's push to raise the share of Emiratis in private-sector jobs, particularly in clinical professions where hospitals have long relied on expatriate staff.

Graduates began joining the group this year in eight specialties: nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy, diagnostic imaging, anaesthesia technology, medical laboratory sciences, health information management and emergency medical services. The programme will be delivered through PureHealth's Emirati Development Center, its internal platform for training national staff from entry level to executive roles.

"Our partnership with Nafis is a long-term investment in the UAE's healthcare future," said Rashed Al Qubaisi, PureHealth's group chief operating officer. He said bringing Emirati graduates into clinical and operational roles strengthens the group's capabilities now while building leadership for later.

According to the announcement, the Emirati Development Center has already supported the progression of hundreds of Emirati professionals. The 250 graduate hires feed into a wider PureHealth commitment to develop 1,000 national healthcare leaders by 2030, in line with Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.

The announcement did not say how many of the 250 places have been filled so far or how the hires will be split across the eight specialties.