An amendment to the UAE labour law granting male employees five days’ of paid paternity leave following the birth of their baby applies to women too, it is now confirmed.
The new parental leave period of five working days is valid from the day of the baby’s birth until he or she reaches six months old, and it can be claimed by both fathers and mothers. This extra five days can be used in addition to the already-established maternity leave allowance for women.
Parental leave in UAE
First announced on 30 August 2020, the amendment to the regulation of labour relations made the UAE the first Arab country to introduce paid paternity leave for fathers.