If you are planning to conceive a child or considering adoption and are employed in the UAE, it is important for you to be aware of your legal entitlements pertaining to your maternity leave in UAE so that you can ensure a healthy work-life balance.
In general, for most employees, one of the first questions that arises is: “What is the duration of maternity or paternity leave in UAE?
The UAE has also introduced progressive employee protection measures, such as paid maternity leave, job security, and other benefits that are favorable in the workplace for parents and employers alike.
In this blog, we will discuss the duration, eligibility criteria, recent updates, and the important requirements of UAE Labor Law on maternity leave, along with the ways to be compliant with the changing laws.
Rules of Maternity Leave in UAE in 2026
Before diving deep, let’s understand the basics of maternity leave in UAE:
Legal Framework
According to the UAE maternity leave law ( Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021) and MOHRE maternity leave rules, female employees are entitled to maternity leave in UAE.
Additionally, this law applies to all female employees in the UAE, irrespective of their employment contract (temporary, permanent or limited-time) and applies to private and public sector.
Duration of Maternity Leave
Duration of the Maternity Leave in UAE indicates that employers should grant with UAE Labour law maternity leave for female employees:
| Leave Type | Duration | Paid/Unpaid |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Maternity Leave | 60 days | 45 full-paid + 15 half-paid |
| Complicated Birth | +15 days | Fully paid |
| Sick/Disabled Child | +30 days | Fully paid |
| Extension (Medical) | +30 days | Unpaid |
- Standard: 45 days of fully paid maternity leave and 15 days of half-paid maternity leave in UAE.
- Complicated Birth: In case of complications or difficult birth, they are additionally provided with 15 days of full paid leaves. Working mothers take their leaves before 30 days of delivery.
- Child with Disability/Sickness: If the child is born sick or with a medical disability, employers give the mother with an additional 30 days of full-paid maternity leave in UAE. In addition, 30 days of additional unpaid leave, upon presenting valid medical documents.
The UAE government has approved an amendment to the existing Maternity Law to extend the duration of maternity leaves in UAE from 45 days to 90 days.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for maternity leave UAE labour law benefits:
Employees completing 1 year of service receive full maternity compensation.
Employees with less than 1 year are still eligible for leave, but payment may vary or be unpaid.
Applicable to all employees, including expatriates.
This applies to all employees and expats for maternity leave in Dubai.
Compensation
Employers provide female employees as per UAE Labour law maternity leave with 45 days of paid maternity leave in UAE. Furthermore, these benefits such as basic salary, allowances, and other applicable benefits.
Recent Amendments in Maternity Leave in Dubai(2024-2026)
As discussed above, the UAE government is still implementing extended maternity leave in Dubai policies that were announced in 2019 and revised as a part of the Federal Law of 2021.
1. Extended Duration of Maternity Leave in UAE
- The governemnt provides 60 days of maternity leave as standard (45 full paid, 15 half paid)
- The government also provides 15 days full-paid for complicated births, and 30 days fully paid and 30 days unpaid if the child is sick or disabled.
- ADGM employees are given 65 days maternity leave (33 fully paid , 32 half paid)
- For government employees, maternity leave is extended to 90 days (fully paid) undergoing federal regulations.
The extended duration of maternity leave in UAE by its government has additionally benefited working mothers to recover and spend quality time with their families and newborn. This also helps working mothers to bring back to their normal routines.
2. Maternity leave for Adoptive Mothers
Another major amendment in this law applicable in 2025 is the inclusion of adoptive mothers in maternity leave laws in UAE.
Employers permit working mothers who adopt a child under the age of 5, 45 days of maternity leave in UAE. This is a major step to promote the adoption of children by parents in the country.
Maternity Leave in UAE: Public vs Private Sector (2026)
| Feature | Private Sector (UAE Labour Law) | Public Sector (Government Employees) |
|---|---|---|
| Governing Law | Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 | Federal & Emirate Government HR Regulations |
| Standard Maternity Leave | 60 days | Up to 90 days |
| Salary During Leave | 45 days full pay + 15 days half pay | Fully paid leave |
| Complicated Birth Leave | Additional 15 days fully paid | Additional leave as per medical approval |
| Sick/Disabled Child Leave | 30 days fully paid + 30 days unpaid | Extended leave permitted (authority-based) |
| Leave Start | Up to 30 days before delivery | As per government policy |
| Eligibility | Applies to all contract types | Applies to government employees |
| Job Protection | Yes | Yes |
| Nursing Breaks After Return | Up to 1 hour daily for 6 months | Up to 1 hour daily for 6 months |
| Paternity Leave | 5 days paid leave | 5 days paid leave |
| Adoption Leave | Available under updated policies | Available under government regulations |
Major challenges faced by working mothers in UAE
Despite major amendments to these laws, working professionals in UAE face several challenges:
1. Expectations of society
In UAE, society significantly influences mothers, hoping them to stay at home and take care of their children. This is a famous belief that mothers should stay at home and focus on the upbringing of the child.
The pressure to handle these beliefs often becomes a challenge for mothers, especially those who are first-time mothers.
2. Limited access to facilities of childcare
Another major challenge faced by working mothers is the lack of affordable childcare facilities for their children. This often becomes a barrier for low and middle-class income earners. That’s why many mothers face a major challenge in providing access to good childcare facilities.
3. Work-life balance challenge
The major challenge faced by working mothers is to maintain a balance between their work and personal life. This challenge is faced by the whole world, and UAE is no exception. The long working hours and demanding working conditions can become a major challenge for working mothers to focus on their children. This ultimately leads to burnout and stress for working women.
Remain In compliance with Maternity Leave Laws in UAE with Zimyo
Since the administration of maternity leave policies in different jurisdictions may be a tricky subject – particularly in the case of a business establishment that has to comply with constantly changing labor laws in UAE.
Moreover, when you use Zimyo Payroll, there is no need to be concerned with leave balances tracking, eligibility rules, or local compliance.
Automated Leave Tracking: Leave (paid, half paid and unpaid) period (according to UAE law) can be automatically calculated.
Custom Leave Policies: Adoption leave, extensions, and other varieties are simple to set up and apply to your workforce.
Compliance Monitoring:Keep in touch with theLeave, as well as amendments within a specific sector.
Employee Self-Service: Allow your staff to check the leave balances, request to go on leave and provide them with online access to their documents.
HR Dashboard: HR can get a centralized view of all the leave statuses to ensure there is zero legal slip up.
Conclusion
Many organizations operate globally. So it becomes a hindrance complying with the laws and regulations of different countries at once. Organizations with maternity leave meaning must comply with these laws and regulations otherwise they might face legal implications or even a lawsuit.
Fortunately, this hindrance can be solved easily and now organizations can comply with local rules and regulations using Zimyo Payroll.
Payroll compliance with maternity leave in UAE and more means adhering to local, federal and state laws of a nation. Organizations can focus on more strategic tasks without thinking of compliance with local laws and regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Maternity leave in uae for private sector women employees are allowed to avail 60 calendar days of maternity leave; 45 days at full pay and 15 days at half pay.
Yes. In the event of the complication of childbirth, 15 days of full-paid leave is given extra. In the event of illness or incapacity of the baby, mothers get 30 extra full-paid days and up to 30 unpaid days, with medical proofs.
Yes. Adoptive mothers Adoptive mothers who adopt a child legally and the child is aged below 5 years are allowed 45 days of paid maternity leave.
The maternity leave in UAE is calculated as the normal daily wage for the first 33 days of maternity leave and 50% of the employee’s normal daily wage for the next 32 days of maternity leave.
Yes, however the employer may provide this leave on an unpaid basis, provided that you do not have 1 year of continuous service.
