As the UAE officially designates 2026 as the ‘Year of the Family’, local governments across the Emirates are already implementing forward-thinking policies aimed at supporting working parents and strengthening the modern family unit.
The focus is on integrating family responsibilities with professional life while empowering parents through flexibility and enhanced support.
Ajman has positioned itself at the forefront with a comprehensive new Human Resources law for government employees. The reforms aim to provide a safety net for working families while promoting flexibility and wellbeing.
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In a move to support the formation and stability of new families, both Dubai and Sharjah have introduced paid marriage leave policies for their government employees.
The Dubai government launched an initiative offering 10 working days of fully paid marriage leave to Emirati nationals, effective from the beginning of 2025. This policy includes all salary allowances, providing significant support to couples starting their lives together.
Meanwhile, Sharjah Executive Council approved a new human resources decree that includes an eight-day paid marriage leave for government employees.
Sharjah has also introduced a unique provision known as “Care Leave,” which is granted to female employees who give birth to a sick child or a child with disabilities requiring a constant companion, ensuring mothers have the necessary time and support .
While other emirates focus on workplace policies, Abu Dhabi has spearheaded social and civil family law reforms, particularly for its non-Muslim expatriate community.
The emirate’s 2021 Civil Family Law introduced a secular alternative to Sharia-based personal status laws, offering comprehensive civil options for marriage, divorce and custody.
The emirate has also seen progressive updates in specific jurisdictions, such as the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), where employment regulations were recently amended to extend maternity leave rights to female employees who adopt a child under five years old, or who experience a stillbirth or miscarriage after 24 weeks.
This move aligns with global best practices and provides a crucial safety net for working mothers in the financial free zone.
For all Abu Dhabi government employees, the standard remains a generous 90 days of fully paid maternity leave.
These initiatives build upon the foundation of federal reforms, which have already introduced significant changes to the national labour law.
The federal law grants all working parents five days of paid parental leave to be taken within the first six months of the child’s birth, a crucial step in promoting shared parental responsibility.
Furthermore, the broader federal Personal Status Law reforms have introduced changes that affect all residents, including:
