Dubai: Are you counting down the days to your next vacation? You will need to check how many paid days of leave you are entitled to.

The UAE has one of the most robust frameworks in the region, when it comes to employee leave entitlements, with laws like Articles 28 to 32 of the UAE Federal Labour Law (Decree Law No. 33 of 2021) and it’s 2022 Executive Regulations governing the labour rights of employees in the private sector.

Your annual leave isn’t the only type of leave available to you, however. We’ve curated all the different kinds of leaves employees are entitled to, under the UAE Labour Law. Depending on the workplace, many employers also offer additional leave benefits and non-statutory leaves in order to attract and retain talent. Learn about all of the options available to you, below:

1. Annual leave

Typical duration: 30 calendar days or 22 working days per year

Article 29 of the UAE Labour Law lays down the regulations that govern the entitlement of annual leaves for private sector employees.

Musa Dayani, a Dubai-based public relations officer, explained: “In the private sector, annual leave is for 30 calendar days, with full salary.” This equates to 22 working days of leave per year for companies that follow a five-day work week, and 26 working days of leave for those who follow a six-day work week.

For long-term employees, the same rules apply. Dayani added: “If an employee has been working for 15 or even 20 years, the same rules [apply]: yearly, they receive a 30-day leave with paid salary.”

However, according to the UAE Labour Law, if the employee’s service term is longer than six months but less than a year, the person is entitled to two calendar days (or 1.8 working days) for each month served.

Learn more about annual leave and its basic provisions.

2. Sick leave

Typical duration: As required

Article 31 of the UAE Labour Law sets out comprehensive regulations for sick leave. All private sector employees are entitled to up to 90 days of sick leave per year, whether continuous or intermittent, based on the following:

  • First 15 days: Full pay
  • Next 30 days: Half pay
  • Remainder: Unpaid

The employee is obligated to inform their employer about their illness within a period not exceeding three working days, and submit a medical report or sick leave certificate from a healthcare professional.

In practice, especially for less serious cases, employers usually permit employees to follow the prescribed leave stated by their doctor in the sick leave certificate. Dayani said: “They follow the duration mentioned as per doctors’ advice and a Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) issued sick leave certificate.”

Learn more about sick leave rules here.

3. Maternity leave

Typical duration: 60 days

Female employees in the UAE are entitled to paid maternity leave under Article 30 of the UAE Labour Law, and their leave is not tied to a minimum service period.

According to Article 30 of the UAE Labour Law, a working woman is entitled to a maternity leave of 60 days in total, with full pay for 45 days, and half pay for the following 15 days.

The leave can begin from the last day of the month immediately before the expected month of delivery, as long as a medical certificate is provided, highlighting the expected due date.

The UAE Labour Law also makes special provisions for certain cases:

  • Mothers or newborns suffering from an illness: Additional unpaid leave for a period of up to 45 days (continuous or intermittent), as long as you provide a medical certificate from an authorised medical authority.
  • Mothers whose children are born with a medical condition or disability that requires constant care: Additional 30 days of maternity leave with full pay, with the right to extend the leave for a period of 30 days without pay. A medical report is required here as well, to support extended leave.
  • Mothers who lose their children after six months of pregnancy: The employee is still entitled to the full maternity leave period.

Learn more about these provisions and maternity rules here.

4. Shared parental leave

Typical duration: Five working days

Under Article 32(1) of the UAE Labour Law, employees can avail of paid parental leave for five working days, continuous or intermittent, to allow both parents to care for their newborn. The leave is available for both the father and the mother during a six-month period after the date of the child’s birth. According to Dayani, in the case of female employees, the parental leave entitlement is in addition to the maternity leave.

5. Bereavement or compassionate leave

Typical duration: Three to five days

Private sector employees in the UAE are entitled to fully paid bereavement leave, following the death of a family member.

Dayani clarified that the rule applies to “very close loved ones”, such as spouses, parents, and children. The provision does not extend to relatives like in-laws or aunts and uncles, and providing leave for such relatives depends on the discretion of the employer.

Under Article 32 of the UAE Labour Law, employees are entitled to the following leave:

  • Five days paid leave for the death of a spouse.
  • Three days paid leave for the death of an immediate family member, including parents, children, siblings, grandparents or grandchildren.

The compassionate leave period begins from the date of the person’s death, and must be taken immediately. Any additional leave required would need to be taken from the employee’s annual leave or as unpaid leave, unless the employer grants an exception. Employers may also require proof (for instance, a death certificate), for their records.

6. Study leave

Typical duration: 10 working days

Article 32(2) of the UAE Labour Law permits employees to avail of a paid study leave for 10 working days per year, as long as they have completed at least two years of service with their employer, and are attending an educational institution within the UAE.

The study leave encourages employees who are furthering their education while working in the UAE, and gives them time off when they need to sit for examinations.

7. Sabbatical leave for National Service

Typical duration: 12 months

The UAE Labour Law provides a sabbatical leave entitlement for Emiratis working in the private sector, who are called up for National Service or military service. The law ensures the employees do not lose their employment or salary while serving the UAE.

This leave is fully paid and usually lasts for 12 months, depending on National Service requirements.

Non-statutory leaves

Beyond mandatory leaves, many employers in the UAE offer additional leave benefits to their employees. These are not required under UAE Labour Law, but are often provided by companies as an additional supplement and as part of their talent recruitment and retention strategies.

Here are a few currently available in the UAE:

Marriage leave: While marriage leave entitlement has been introduced in the public sector, it remains a non-statutory leave in the private sector, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). Some private companies, however, offer employees three to five days of paid leave when they’re getting married.

Hajj and Umrah leave: Under the UAE Labour Law, employees may be granted special leave for the Hajj pilgrimage, however the leave is unpaid, cannot exceed 30 days, and is granted only once during the period of employment with the same employer. According to Dayani, for Umrah, there is no specific provision under the law, and “it is up to the employer to approve”, and either deduct the leave from the employee’s annual leave balance or grant it as unpaid leave.

Cultural/religious leave: Some international companies have adopted the practice of offering a day or two of leave for employees to observe important religious or cultural holidays. These leaves are separate from statutory public holidays.

Birthday leave: Offering a day of leave on or around an employee’s birthday is another retention strategy offered by some companies, such as the International Free Zone Authority (IFZA Dubai).

Wellness days: With the growing importance of mental health awareness, some employers offer paid wellness leave days or mental health breaks for employees, which allow them to recharge without using up their annual leave. The Dubai-based on-demand fuelling and car service company CAFU, for instance, gives employees self-care days to rest and recharge, as well as five days off every year for volunteering and benevolent activities.

Enhanced leave: Many companies have adopted the discretionary practice of extending statutory leaves. For instance, in 2025, DP World introduced a 100-day maternity leave and extended paternity leave – beyond the required number of days stipulated by the UAE Labour Law.

Discretionary unpaid leave: Aside from the categories recognised under the UAE Labour Law, such as Hajj leave, extended maternity leave, and extended sick leave, any additional unpaid leave requires prior approval from the employer. Dayani shared an example: “Employees can request for unpaid leave for emergencies,” and urgent personal needs, but these are subject to internal policies and managerial approvals.