Paternal leave granted for private sector employees

The UAE becomes the first Arab country to grant a five-day parental leave to employees in the private sector with His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, approving amendments to the Labour law. The decree aims to cement family cohesion and stability, enhance UAE’s position and competitiveness in the field of gender balance, and encourage young talents to work in the private sector. The paid parental leave is the latest benefit for employees in the private sector.

The decree stipulates that the employee in the private sector shall be granted a paid “parental leave” for five working days to care for the child, due from the date of the child’s birth until the completion of six months.

The step also enhances the nation’s efforts to create a competitive model that supports the work environment in the private sector and is aligned with the UAE strategy to prepare for the next fifty years.

As of now, male government employees get a three-day paternity leave. Women employees in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah get a 90-day maternity leave with scope for extension with unpaid leave. They also get time off work to nurse their newborns for 18 months.