Annual Leave & Other Leave Policies in the UAE

Annual Leave (Statutory Leave):

• Entitlement:
  • 30 calendar days per year after 1 year of service.
  • 2 days/month for 6–12 months of service.
  • Pro‑rated for part‑time employees.
• Usage:
  • To be taken in the year accrued; carry‑over allowed with consent (max 2 years).
  • Employers must notify leave dates ≥ 30 days in advance.
• Termination Pay‑out: Unused leave must be paid at basic salary upon contract end.

Sick Leave (Statutory Leave):

• Eligibility: After probation (usually 3 months).
• Entitlement: Up to 90 days/year (continuous or intermittent):
  • 1–15 days: full pay
  • 16–45 days: half pay
  • 46–90 days: unpaid
• Must provide medical certificate and notify within 3 days.

Maternity Leave (Statutory Leave):

• Entitlement: 60 calendar days total:
  • 45 days fully paid, next 15 days at half pay
  • Extra unpaid 45 days if medically necessary
  • Additional 30 paid + 30 unpaid days if newborn is ill/disability
• Nursing Breaks: 2 paid breaks/day (≤1 hour) for 6 months post-return

Paternity / Parental Leave (Government Paid Leave):

• Paternity (Father): 5 working days, to be taken within 6 months of birth.
• Parental leave: Also includes 5 days paid for either parent, within 6 months.

Other Types of Leave (Government Paid Leave):

• Compassionate (Bereavement):
  • 5 days for loss of spouse
  • 3 days for loss of parent, child, sibling, grandparent/grandchild
• Hajj Leave: Up to 30 days unpaid (once during employment)
• Study Leave: 10 days paid/year after ≥2 years’ service

Public Holidays (Statutory Leave):

• Workers are entitled to full pay on official public holidays as defined by the MOHRE.
• If employee are required to work on a public holiday, employer should pay Normal working hours plus not less than 50% basic wage for the day or a day in lieu.

2025 Public Holidays:

Rest Day and Break Time:

Rest Day:

• Your employer must provide not less than one day per week.
• The employer determines the rest day, which can be on a Sunday, or any other day of the week.
• Payment for work on a rest day is calculated as Overtime or Compensated with a day off.

Mid Day break:

• UAE to implement midday work break from 15 June to 15 September for 19th consecutive year.
• The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) announced a ban on working in open spaces and under direct sunlight from 12:30 to 3:00 pm every day from 15 June to 15 September.

Ramadan Timing:

• Daily working hours are reduced by 2 hours.
• Companies may offer flexible or remote work depending on operational needs.
• These reduced hours apply to all employees, regardless of religion, and do not affect salaries.

Friday Prayer Break Timing:

Employee who offer Friday prayer break / Jumuah prayer must get break for praye. companies may adopt a half-day schedule or provide flexibility for employees to attend the Friday prayer.

Please note that all the information listed below are to be used as a general guideline. For more detailed accounts of UAE employment laws and regulations, please visit the official governmental websites.

Updated on: November 2025