Last updated: 25 October 2026
Maternity leave UAE rules for the private sector give a working mother 60 days of leave: the first 45 days on full wage and the next 15 days on half wage. The entitlement comes from Article 30 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, the UAE Labour Law, and the article sets no minimum length of service.
On top of the 60 days, the law allows up to 45 unpaid days if pregnancy or childbirth leaves you or your baby unwell, 30 more paid days for a sick child or a child of determination, daily nursing breaks for six months and 5 working days of parental leave for either parent. This guide explains each one, how to apply and what to do if your employer refuses. It is not legal advice.
Maternity leave UAE: your entitlement at a glance
All of these rights apply to women working for private sector employers on the UAE mainland. Your contract or company policy can give you more, but never less.
| Entitlement | Length | Pay | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maternity leave | 60 days | 45 days full wage, 15 days half wage | Medical certificate with the expected delivery date |
| Extra leave for illness after birth | Up to 45 days, in one block or in parts | Unpaid | Illness of the mother or child caused by pregnancy or childbirth, proven by a medical certificate |
| Leave for a sick child or child of determination | 30 days, plus 30 more if needed | First 30 days full pay, extra 30 days unpaid | Medical report that the child needs a constant companion |
| Nursing breaks | One or two breaks a day, up to 1 hour in total, for 6 months after delivery | Fully paid | After you return to work |
| Parental leave | 5 working days | Paid | Mother or father, within 6 months of the birth |
The UAE Government lists the same figures on its types of leave in the private sector page, which was last updated in October 2026.
Who these rules cover
The Labour Law covers every employer and worker in the UAE private sector, so the 60 days apply to expat and Emirati women alike, whatever their job or salary. The law does not cover government employees, the armed forces and police, or domestic workers, who each have their own rules.
The old 1980 labour law paid full maternity wage only after one year of continuous service. Article 30 of the current law has no such condition, so a mother who joined her company a few months before the birth still gets the full 60 days.
The minimum cannot be cut. In May 2025, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation told the Federal National Council that the 60 days may not be reduced under any circumstances. Employers may offer more, such as 90 days, if it is written into company rules and applied consistently.
When you can start maternity leave
You can start maternity leave from the last day of the month before the month in which your baby is due. Your employer must grant it when you ask within that window, and the request is backed by a certificate from your doctor or hospital showing the expected delivery date.
For example, if your baby is due on 20 March, the earliest start date is the last day of February. The u.ae portal summarises this as applying up to 30 days before the expected delivery date.
You do not have to start early. Many mothers work until close to the due date so that more of the 60 days fall after the birth.
How maternity pay works in the UAE
Your employer pays your maternity wage, at the full rate for the first 45 days and at half the rate for the remaining 15 days.
Which salary the pay is based on
Article 30 says “full wage” and “half wage”. In the law’s own definitions, “wage” means your basic wage plus the cash allowances and benefits in your contract, while “basic wage” leaves the allowances out. The law uses the narrower term where it means it, for example for gratuity. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) has not published a worked formula for maternity pay, so if your payslip during leave shows basic salary only, ask HR in writing which figure they used and why.
A worked pay example
The days are fixed by the law, so the sum is simple once you know your daily wage. Take a mother whose daily wage is AED 200.
- Days 1 to 45 at full wage: 45 x AED 200 = AED 9,000
- Days 46 to 60 at half wage: 15 x AED 100 = AED 1,500
- Total maternity pay: AED 10,500, the same as 52.5 days of full wage
Article 30 does not say how a monthly salary is turned into a daily wage for maternity pay, so use the daily figure your payroll shows.
Extra leave after the 60 days
Two extensions exist, and each needs medical proof.
Up to 45 unpaid days for illness
After the 60 days, you can stay off work without pay for up to 45 more days if you or your child have an illness resulting from pregnancy or childbirth that stops you returning. The days can be taken in one block or in parts. You need a medical certificate from the medical entity treating you.
These unpaid days do not count towards your service period for end of service gratuity, or towards pension contributions for Emiratis. If you are planning ahead, our UAE gratuity calculator shows how a shorter service period changes the figure.
30 paid days for a sick child or a child of determination
If your baby is born sick or with a disability and needs a constant companion, you get 30 days of leave on full pay, starting when your maternity leave ends. You can extend it by another 30 days without pay. A medical report from the medical entity must confirm the child’s condition.
If the baby is stillborn or dies after birth
The full 60 days of maternity leave still apply if the delivery took place six months or more into the pregnancy, whether the baby was stillborn or was born alive and then died. Ask HR to record the leave as maternity leave.
Nursing breaks after you return to work
Once you are back at work, you are entitled to one or two breaks a day to breastfeed your child, for up to six months from the date of delivery. The two breaks together cannot be more than one hour a day, and the u.ae portal states that they are fully paid.
In practice, many mothers take the hour as one block, arriving later or leaving earlier. Agree the timing in an email. Older articles mention 18 months; that was the old law.
Parental leave for both parents
Parental leave is a separate paid leave of 5 working days for the father or the mother of a newborn, under Article 32 of the Labour Law. It can be taken in one go or a day at a time, any time within six months of the birth.
A mother can use her 5 days of parental leave as well as her 60 days of maternity leave, as long as she takes them within the six months. Fathers get the same 5 working days, which is the leave most people call paternity leave. The leave does not depend on length of service, and your employer can ask for proof of the birth, usually the birth certificate.
Protection from dismissal and unfair treatment
Your employer cannot end your contract, or give you notice of termination, because you are pregnant, on maternity leave or on the extra leave allowed by Article 30. Article 4 of the same law also bans discrimination on the basis of sex in hiring, keeping a job and enjoying its benefits.
Maternity leave does not cancel your other leave. You keep your annual leave balance and can ask to add it after maternity leave; the dates are agreed with your employer, so ask early.
If your employer refuses the leave, cuts your pay or dismisses you over the pregnancy, raise it with HR in writing, then complain to MOHRE. Our guide to filing a MOHRE complaint covers the app, the website and the 600590000 hotline. The minister said in 2025 that workers can complain about maternity leave, including confidentially.
How to apply for maternity leave
The law does not set a form, so your company’s own HR process applies. In practice, HR teams usually ask for the same few documents.
- Tell HR early. Give HR your due date in writing a few months ahead.
- Get a medical certificate. Ask your doctor or hospital for a certificate showing the expected delivery date.
- Submit your request. Send the certificate with a written request that states your planned start date, through the HR system or by email.
- Confirm the dates. Ask HR to confirm the start and end dates of the 60 days in writing, plus the date the half-wage days begin.
- After the birth, send the birth certificate. HR needs it as proof of the birth for parental leave.
- Apply for any extension in time. If you need the 45 unpaid days or the leave for a sick child, send the medical certificate or report before your maternity leave ends.
- Agree your nursing breaks. Before you return, agree the timing of your daily nursing hour with your manager.
Government employees, free zones and domestic workers
These groups follow different laws, so the figures above do not apply to them.
- Federal government employees: under Federal Decree-Law No. 49 of 2022, a woman in a permanent federal post gets 90 days of maternity leave on full pay, two paid nursing hours a day for up to six months, and the same 5 working days of parental leave. See the u.ae page on maternity and paternity leave in the government sector.
- Local government employees: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and other emirates set their own government leave rules.
- DIFC and ADGM: these financial free zones have their own employment laws, with their own maternity and paternity rules. Check with your employer or the free zone authority.
- Domestic workers: nannies, housemaids and other domestic workers are covered by the separate domestic workers law, not by Article 30.
Is maternity leave in the UAE changing?
No change to private sector maternity leave has become law as of October 2026; the u.ae portal still shows 60 days. In May 2025 the minister said longer maternity leave was being studied, and in January 2026 the Federal National Council recommended at least 98 fully paid days for Emirati women in the public sector. Emirati women in Abu Dhabi’s private sector can apply for 90 days under a programme that started in August 2024; it does not cover expats.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Believing the 45-day figure. Old articles and some colleagues still quote 45 days. The current entitlement is 60 days, with 15 of them on half wage.
- Not getting dates in writing. A verbal approval is hard to prove later. Keep HR’s written confirmation.
- Working for someone else during the leave. If you do paid work for another employer during maternity leave, your employer may withhold the leave wage or claim back what it paid.
- Not coming back on time. If you do not return when the leave ends and have no valid reason, such as an approved extension, that time is unpaid and can lead to a dispute.
- Forgetting parental leave. The 5 working days expire six months after the birth. Fathers in particular often lose them by waiting.
Frequently asked questions
How many days is maternity leave in the UAE private sector?
Maternity leave in the UAE private sector is 60 days under Article 30 of the Labour Law. The first 45 days are paid at full wage and the next 15 days at half wage. If illness from pregnancy or childbirth stops you returning, you can take up to 45 more days without pay, supported by a medical certificate. Your contract can give more, never less.
Do I need one year of service to get maternity leave in the UAE?
No, you do not need one year of service to get maternity leave in the UAE private sector. Article 30 of the current Labour Law sets no minimum length of service, so a new employee still gets 60 days, with 45 on full wage and 15 on half wage. The one-year condition belonged to the old 1980 labour law, which no longer applies.
When can I start my maternity leave in the UAE?
You can start maternity leave in the UAE from the last day of the month before the month your baby is due. The u.ae portal describes this as applying up to 30 days before the expected delivery date. Your employer must grant the leave when you ask within this window, supported by a medical certificate showing the due date.
Is paternity leave paid in the UAE private sector?
Yes, paternity leave is paid in the UAE private sector. Under Article 32 of the Labour Law, either parent of a newborn gets 5 working days of paid parental leave, taken in one go or in parts within six months of the birth. There is no minimum length of service, and the employer can ask for proof of the birth, such as the birth certificate.
Can my employer fire me for being pregnant in the UAE?
No, your employer cannot fire you for being pregnant in the UAE. Article 30 of the Labour Law bans ending your service, or giving you notice, because of pregnancy, maternity leave or the extra leave the article allows. Article 4 also bans sex discrimination at work. If it happens, keep the evidence and file a complaint with MOHRE through its app, website or 600590000.
How long are nursing breaks after maternity leave in the UAE?
Nursing breaks in the UAE private sector last for six months from the date of delivery. Once you return to work, you can take one or two breaks a day to breastfeed, as long as the total is not more than one hour. The u.ae government portal states that these breaks are fully paid. Agree the timing with your manager in writing.
Key takeaways
- Private sector maternity leave in the UAE is 60 days: 45 on full wage and 15 on half wage, with no minimum service.
- Extra leave: up to 45 unpaid days for illness, or 30 paid days plus 30 unpaid for a sick child.
- Nursing breaks of up to one hour a day run for six months; parental leave is 5 working days for either parent.
- Dismissal because of pregnancy or maternity leave is banned; complain to MOHRE if it happens.
Sources
- Types of leaves in the private sector, The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae)
- Maternity and paternity leave in the government sector, u.ae
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationships (Articles 1, 3, 4, 29, 30, 32 and 34), text published by the UAE Government
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)
- Federal Decree-Law No. 49 of 2022 on Human Resources in the Federal Government, as summarised on u.ae
