A law allowing new parents to take five days of parental leave is the latest sign the country is putting families first, workplace experts said.
The new entitlement, announced by President Sheikh Khalifa on Sunday, allows parents to take five days of paid leave within six months of the birth of their child.
Previously, companies in the private sector did not have to grant leave to new fathers, though some did so at their own discretion.
For new mothers it means an extra five days paid leave before returning to work.
Vijay Gandhi, a director with HR consultancy Korn Kerry, said the announcement was the latest indication that times are changing.
This new law will also help to encourage more interest in private sector roles and support the long-term sustainability of the private sector
“There is a desire in the UAE to adopt more flexible working practices as that has been shown to lead to higher employee engagement and productivity,” he said.
“The last few months have shown us that remote working can be successful.
“The pendulum is definitely swinging towards having a better balance between productivity and flexibility.”
Sunday’s announcement was the latest in a series of changes in the workplace.
Earlier this month, public sector workers in Dubai were given the option of a flexible working model, allowing them to choose to begin work at any time between 6.30am and 8.30am. The move is expected to cut congestion and allow parents to take their children to school.
Government employees in Abu Dhabi and Dubai can also decide to work from home if their children were enrolled in distance learning.
Parents working in the public sector were this week allowed to take three hours off from work to take their children to and from school on Sunday, August 30, the first day of the new school year. It was not yet stated whether the new parental leave rules will extend to the public sector, where workers were already allowed to take three days off.
“In the last few weeks we have definitely seen a shift towards a more flexible model with the introduction of new laws around working remotely,” Mr Gandhi said.
“It’s not just about bridging the gap between the public and private sectors, but also to reduce the divide between male and female employees.
"There are still countries that are offering zero paternity leave in the Mena region."
Majid Al Futtaim, one of the country's largest employers, said the move would help to attract more Emiratis to the private sector.
"This new law will also help to encourage more interest in private sector roles, which will boost localisation efforts and support the long-term sustainability of the private sector in the UAE," said Mouien Al Madhoun, chief human capital officer at Majid Al Futtaim.
Louise Karim, managing director of recruitment agency Mums@work, said the move put the spotlight on the demands on families.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction,” she said.
“The last few months, with many having to work from home and children being taught remotely, have shown how much women typically have to take on.”
Ms Karim said the introduction of five days of parental leave would send a strong message about gender balance.
“A lot of multi-nationals already have parental leave policies in place,” she said.
“But there has been a bit of a struggle getting men to take this leave in the region. Culturally they are worried about being seen to take this leave.”
Ms Karim said the government’s stance had turned the focus on the realities of having to balance work and home life.
“Hopefully it will lead to a bit more understanding about the steps back that women have had to make with their careers.”
Ms Karim said the new policy was in keeping with the efforts of the UAE Gender Balance Council to address the difficulties many women face in the workplace.
Another employment expert said the new law surrounding parental leave could be in place as early as October.
"Many of the freezones in the UAE have already a policy of granting paternity leave," said Luke Tapp, an employment specialist at law firm Pinsent Masons Middle East.
"Not only is this the first federal decree about parental leave, it will also mean there is consistency across the different sectors in the country."
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
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Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Result
Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2
Man City: Jesus (39), David Silva (41)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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