Annual Leave is a basic right of every employee protected by the UAE Labour Law. Full-time employees working in the UAE are entitled to leave and holidays as per laws in the country, which broadly include annual or recreation leave, sick leave and maternity leave.
1. What are the mandatory leaves as per UAE Labour Law?
- Hijri New Year's Day – one day
- Gregorian New Year's Day- one day
- Eid Al Fitr (end of Ramadan)- two days
- Eid Al Ada and Waqfa – three days
- Prophet Mohammed's Birthday- one day
- Isra and Al Mi'raj- one day
- Martyr's Day – one day
- National Day – one day
2. How many days of annual leaves are you entitled to?
Each employee is entitled for annual leave after completing each year of service as mentioned below:
- Two days leave for every month if his service is more than six months and less than a year.
- 30 days annually if his service exceeds one year. At the end of the service the employee is entitled to an annual leave for the fraction of the last year he spent in service.
3. Who decides annual leaves of employees?
The employer may at his discretion determine the date for commencement of annual leaves and, when necessary, he may decide to divide the leave in two parts at the most, except in cases of juveniles where vacation may not be divided in parts.
Note: As an employee, you could decide when your annual leave starts. However, note that annual leaves are allowed after completion of 1 year at most companies. You could divide your Annual leave into 2 parts at most.
Originally published 03 Mar 2019
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.