Key takeaways
- Maternity leave is 60 days: 45 days at full wage, then 15 days at half wage (Article 30), with no minimum service set in the law.
- You can start it from the last day of the month before your due month, with a medical certificate; the government portal says up to 30 days before delivery.
- After it, you can take up to 45 unpaid days for illness from pregnancy or childbirth; if your child needs a constant companion, you get 30 fully paid days plus up to 30 unpaid.
- Either parent gets 5 working days of paid parental leave, taken within six months of the birth, in one block or in parts (Article 32).
- Your employer can't end your service or give you notice because of pregnancy or maternity leave, and after you return you get up to an hour a day of nursing breaks until six months from the birth.
UAE maternity leave law: how many days you get
The UAE maternity leave law for the private sector is Article 30 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations, with parental leave in Article 32. Article 30 gives a female worker 60 days of maternity leave. It sets no minimum service and, unlike paid sick leave, doesn't exclude probation. It doesn't affect your other leave entitlements (Article 30(6)).
| Leave | Length | Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity leave | 60 days | First 45 days full wage, next 15 days half wage |
| Illness from pregnancy or childbirth (mother or baby) | Up to 45 more days, in one block or in parts | Unpaid; not counted for gratuity or pension periods |
| Sick child or child with a disability needing a constant companion | 30 days after maternity leave, extendable by 30 days | 30 days full wage; the extension is unpaid |
| Nursing breaks | After you return, one or two breaks a day, up to one hour in total, for up to six months from the birth | The law is silent; the government portal says fully paid |
| Parental leave (father or mother) | 5 working days within six months of the birth | Paid |
The law covers all private-sector employers and workers in the UAE (Article 3), so maternity leave in Dubai's private sector is the same 60 days. The government portal says free zone staff generally follow their free zone authority's regulations together with this law, while DIFC and ADGM have their own frameworks. Government staff have their own laws, and domestic workers fall under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 (see our domestic workers law guide).
When maternity leave starts, and stillbirth
Your employer must grant the leave at your request from the last day of the month immediately before your due month, with a certificate from a Medical Authority: a government health entity or a licensed private health facility (Article 30(5)). The government portal says up to 30 days before the expected delivery date; follow the law's wording.
The leave applies to a birth after at least six months of pregnancy, whether the baby is stillborn or born alive and then dies (Article 30(3)). If you work for another employer during the leave, your employer may withhold or recover your wage for that period (Article 30(7)).
- 1. Get a medical certificate. It must come from a Medical Authority, such as a licensed hospital or clinic.
- 2. Apply to your employer. Your employer must grant leave from the last day of the month before your due month if you ask.
- 3. Raise any extra leave. Ask about illness days or companion leave if a medical report supports them.
Extra leave for illness, a sick child and nursing
Illness. If an illness from the pregnancy or birth affects you or your baby and stops you returning, you can stay off work unpaid for up to 45 days, in one block or in parts, with a Medical Authority certificate. These days don't count towards service for gratuity or pension (Article 30(2)).
A sick child or a child with a disability. If a medical report says your child needs a constant companion, you get 30 days at full pay after maternity leave, extendable by 30 unpaid days (Article 30(4)).
Nursing breaks. After you return, for up to six months from the birth, you can take one or two breastfeeding breaks a day, up to one hour in total (Article 30(9)). The law doesn't mention pay; the government portal says they're fully paid. See our sick leave rules for other illness.
Maternity pay: a worked example
Article 30 pays "full wage" and "half wage". Article 1 defines wage as the basic wage plus cash allowances and in-kind benefits. The law says "basic wage" where it means basic pay only, for example for gratuity (Article 51), and states no separate base for maternity pay. Your employment contract lists your basic wage and allowances.
Example: basic AED 6,000, housing AED 2,500 and transport AED 500 make a monthly wage of AED 9,000. Article 67 counts a month as 30 days, so this estimate uses AED 300 a day; the law sets no daily-wage formula.
| Part of the leave | Days | Pay in the example |
|---|---|---|
| Full wage | 45 | AED 13,500 |
| Half wage | 15 | AED 2,250 |
| Total maternity pay | 60 | AED 15,750 |
| Optional illness extension | Up to 45 | AED 0 (unpaid) |
| Companion leave for a sick or disabled child | 30 | AED 9,000 |
Working those 60 days would have paid AED 18,000, so the half-pay days cost AED 2,250 here.
Parental leave and rules outside the private sector
Article 32 gives a worker with a newborn, father or mother, 5 working days of paid parental leave, in one block or in parts within six months of the birth. The Executive Regulation (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 21) asks for proof of the birth and lets you combine parental, annual, mourning and unpaid leave; see annual leave.
Federal government. Federal Decree-Law No. 49 of 2022 gives full-time female employees 90 days of fully paid maternity leave and either parent 5 working days of paid parental leave (Articles 19 and 20). Dubai Government. The government portal says Decree No. 14 of 2017 gives 90 days from the delivery date; confirm with your HR department.
Abu Dhabi. Under the Emirati Family Growth Programme (announced July 2024), the Social Support Authority set out in August 2024 financial support, complementary to salary, for up to 90 days of paid maternity leave for Emirati mothers in the private sector with an Abu Dhabi family book and their employer's NOC, for births on or after 1 September 2024; apply within 30 days of delivery. Employers join voluntarily; confirm it's still open.
Protection from dismissal and how we help
Your employer can't end your service or give you notice because of pregnancy, maternity leave or absence under Article 30 (Article 30(8)). Article 4 bans discrimination on the grounds of sex. If either side ends the contract during leave, notice starts the day after your scheduled return, unless you both agree otherwise (Article 35).
Global Sky PRO handles the paperwork: leave records, payroll changes, contract updates and MOHRE applications, through our HR and payroll services. We're not a law firm. MOHRE handles complaints and decides claims up to AED 50,000, which either side can challenge in court; we can help file a labour complaint. For the wider rules, read our guide to UAE labour law.
Sources
- UAE Legislation: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 regulating labour relations
- UAE Legislation: Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Executive Regulation of the labour law
- UAE government portal: types of leaves in the private sector
- UAE government portal: parental leave
- UAE government portal: Federal Decree-Law No. 49 of 2022 on human resources in the federal government
- UAE government portal: maternity and paternity leave in the government sector
- Abu Dhabi Media Office: maternity leave support for women in the private sector
Official sources checked on 13 November 2026. This guide explains published rules in plain English and is not legal or tax advice. Rules change; we check the current position for your case before you act.