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Maternity and parental leave in the UAE: how many days?

60 days of maternity leave: 45 on full pay and 15 on half pay, plus 5 working days of parental leave for either parent. Nursing breaks of up to an hour a day for six months.

By MyGuide AE Editorial 2 min read

60 days of maternity leave: the first 45 days on full pay and the next 15 on half pay (Article 30 of the UAE Labour Law). Either parent also gets 5 working days of parental leave (Article 32).

The entitlements at a glance

Leave Length Pay
Maternity leave 60 days 45 days full pay, 15 days half pay (Art. 30(1))
Further absence for illness from pregnancy or birth Up to 45 days, at once or in parts Unpaid; needs a medical certificate (Art. 30(2))
Child who is ill or of determination and needs a constant companion 30 days, then up to 30 more 30 days full pay, the extension unpaid (Art. 30(4))
Parental leave, father or mother 5 working days within six months of the birth Full pay (Art. 32(1)(b))
Nursing breaks For six months after the birth One or two breaks a day, together no more than one hour (Art. 30(9))

When it can start

You can start maternity leave from the last day of the month before the month your baby is due, with a medical certificate (Art. 30(5)). The leave applies to a birth six months or more into the pregnancy, including a stillbirth or a baby who is born alive and then dies (Art. 30(3)).

Your job is protected

An employer may not dismiss you, or give you notice, because you are pregnant, on maternity leave or absent under Article 30 (Art. 30(8)). Maternity leave does not reduce your other leave (Art. 30(6)).

Two things to know

  • The unpaid extra absence of up to 45 days does not count towards your service for gratuity (Art. 30(2)).
  • If you work for another employer during your leave, your employer may withhold or recover the leave pay (Art. 30(7)).

Annual leave, bereavement and study leave are in annual leave in the UAE.

These rules cover the UAE private sector. They do not apply to federal and local government employees, the armed forces, police and security services, or domestic workers (Article 3). Your contract can give you more than the law, never less.

Checked against the text of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on 24 September 2026. The 2024 amendment replaced Articles 54 and 60 only; none of the articles cited here. General information, not legal advice. See our editorial policy.

Sources we checked

The official bodies where these figures and rules are kept up to date. Where an official page disagrees with us, the official page is right.

Prices are what we last paid or last verified, in dirhams. Opening hours change on public holidays and during Ramadan — always confirm on the venue’s own site before you travel. Our editorial policy

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