By decree from His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, paid paternity leave has been granted for those working in the private sector.
This groundbreaking move makes the UAE the first Arab nation to make paid paternity leave a requirement in the private sector.
Under the new amendments to the federal law, five days of paid paternity leave must now be given to private sector employees. This leave can be taken from when the baby is born up until they are six months old.
According to state news agency , the new law will reinforce the aim to achieve gender balance. It’s also to “achieve family stability and cohesion, and encourage young people to work in the private sector”.
#UAEPresident approves amendments to federal law on paternity leave #WamNews https://t.co/Cb1SKSNarL pic.twitter.com/XaOlZCeQtf
— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) August 30, 2020
It’s a move that’s certainly welcomed in the region as the rules surrounding paternity leave in other countries are reportedly unclear.
Per , in Saudi Arabia it’s stated that paternity leave of three days should be given to men, but it’s not be made clear if this just for the public sector or if it pertains to the private sector too. Meanwhile, Lebanon also has three days paternity leave, but this is allegedly not often enforced.
As for other Arab nations including Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Syria, there is no paternity leave offered.
The new federal law in the UAE also puts the nation leaps and bounds ahead of the USA, as there is no paternity leave currently offered for new fathers. Similarly, there is no guaranteed maternity leave for new mothers either in the western nation.
In the UAE at present, women in the public sector are given 90 days of paid maternity leave, while those working in the private sector are given 45 days of paid maternity leave.
