Paternity and partner leave in the United Arab Emirates
Reviewed by Mellow Editorial Team, HR & payroll content team
Paternity leave in the UAE is five days of paid leave for private-sector fathers, taken within six months of the child's birth. Public-sector rules differ, and there is no statutory "partner leave" category in UAE law.
What the law says for private-sector employees
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33/2021 (the UAE Labour Law), a male employee in the private sector is entitled to five days of paid paternity leave. The leave can be taken at any point within six months of the child's birth — it does not have to begin immediately after delivery.
There is no equivalent statutory entitlement called "partner leave" in UAE federal law. The legislation is written around the father of the child, so same-sex partners and non-biological co-parents have no separate statutory entitlement under current federal law.
The five days are paid at the employee's normal wage. There is no waiting period tied to length of service — the entitlement applies from the start of employment.
Public-sector rules
Federal and emirate-level government employees follow different frameworks. Federal government employees are generally entitled to more generous paternity leave — historically three to five weeks depending on the authority. Individual emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and others) may set their own rules for their government workforces through local HR regulations.
If you employ people in a free zone, check the free zone's own employment regulations, because some (notably DIFC and ADGM) have their own labour frameworks that can differ from the federal Labour Law on leave entitlements.
How it interacts with other leave and payroll
Paternity leave days are paid working days. They do not count against the employee's annual leave balance (30 calendar days per year after one year of service), and they should not be processed as unpaid or as sick leave.
For payroll purposes, paternity leave is treated as normal paid leave. The employee's full basic wage and allowances continue. There is no government reimbursement mechanism for private-sector employers — the cost sits with the business.
Paternity leave payments must still flow through the Wage Protection System (WPS) in the normal payroll cycle. There is no separate WPS code or exemption for paternity pay; it is simply included in the monthly payroll submission alongside regular wages.
End-of-service gratuity continues to accrue normally during paternity leave. The five days do not interrupt continuity of service.
What employers should do in practice
A few practical steps keep you compliant and avoid disputes:
Set a notification policy. The Labour Law does not specify how much notice a father must give. Building a simple policy — for example, reasonable advance notice where practicable, or notification within 24 hours of the birth — avoids ambiguity.
Document the entitlement in the employment contract or handbook. Stating that paternity leave is five paid days, taken within six months of the birth, ensures the employee and line manager have the same understanding. Restating statutory rights in writing does not create extra obligations; it prevents confusion.
Process payroll correctly from day one. If a new hire takes paternity leave in their first weeks, they are still entitled to it. Do not attempt to pro-rate or defer it.
Check free zone or government authority rules if relevant. If part of your workforce sits under DIFC, ADGM or a specific emirate authority, review those rules separately. Getting this wrong exposes you to employee complaints and potential regulatory scrutiny.
Consider discretionary enhancements. Five days is a statutory floor, not a ceiling. Some UAE employers — particularly multinationals aligning with global policies — offer two weeks or more. Any enhancement beyond the statutory minimum should be clearly documented in the contract to avoid it being treated as an implied contractual right for all staff.
Maternity leave, for context
Maternity leave in the private sector is 60 calendar days: 45 fully paid and 15 at half pay, available to mothers who have completed at least one year of service. Mothers who have not yet completed a year receive the leave at half pay for the first 45 days and unpaid for the final 15. This is worth understanding alongside paternity leave because both parents may be absent around the same time, and workforce planning needs to account for both.
Nursing breaks (two 30-minute breaks per day for six months post-birth) are also a statutory right for mothers returning to work — worth noting when you are updating your leave policies.
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