Members are saving for something specific. Build accordingly.

Nobody saves for a balance. They save for a deposit, a child's school fees, a business back home, or a retirement they can picture. A workplace savings scheme that shows a member a number and a fund name is answering a question the member did not ask. The infrastructure underneath a scheme should be built around what the money is for, because that is the only thing the member is measuring it against.

Why does the member's goal matter to the platform?

Because it changes what the platform has to do. A member saving for a deposit in three years needs a different default portfolio, a different contribution nudge and a different withdrawal path from a member saving for retirement in twenty.

The goal also decides whether the member engages at all. Employees are enrolled by the employer rather than choosing to participate, and a member who did not choose the scheme has no reason to log in unless it shows them something they care about.

What does the UAE Savings Scheme allow a member to do?

Two things, and the platform has to keep them separate. The employer's mandatory contribution, 5.83% or 8.33% of basic salary, is the funded form of end-of-service gratuity and is paid to the member upon leaving service. It is not a goal pot; it is an entitlement with a fixed trigger. The member's voluntary contribution, up to 25% of annual salary, belongs to the member throughout and follows different access rules. That is where goals live.

A platform built for the scheme therefore needs at least two pots per member from the first day, with distinct defaults, rules and reporting.

What does goal-based design change in the infrastructure?

Pots, not accounts. A member is one record with several pots, each with its own name, contribution levels, withdrawal rules, and investment range.

Withdrawal paths that match the goal. Any platform needs a withdrawal workflow for the voluntary pot that is separate from the end-of-service payout, with its own verification, its own settlement and its own audit trail.

Communication in the member's language. A valuation that says "AED 48,210" is a fact. An interactive tool that says the deposit goal is 61% funded and on track for March 2029 if you continue adding AED 500 a month is a reason to keep going.

Where Cohlay sits

Cohlay is one option in the consideration set for fund managers building a scheme members will use rather than merely hold. It is DIFC-incorporated, hosted in-region, and built by practitioners with operating experience inside UAE and DIFC workplace savings.

Frequently asked questions

Can a member withdraw from the UAE Savings Scheme before leaving their job?

The employer's mandatory contributions and their returns are paid on termination of employment. Voluntary contributions belong to the member throughout and follow different access rules, which is where goal-based saving applies.

Does the employer choose the member's investment option?

No. The employer selects the overall scheme; the member chooses within the range of investment options the scheme offers. A capital guarantee portfolio is the mandatory option for unskilled workers.