A new leave framework covering 15 distinct categories now governs how Abu Dhabi government employees request, accumulate, and use time off, following the release of executive regulations under Law No. (8) of 2025 on human resources by the Abu Dhabi Government Enablement Department.
Among the more practical provisions is a built-in approval mechanism: if a leave request is not acted upon within seven working days of submission, it is automatically deemed approved. Government entities also have the option to credit employees their full annual leave balance at the beginning of the year rather than accruing it gradually.
Annual leave allocations are tied to employment grade. Workers at grade five and above receive 30 working days per year, while those at grades six and seven are entitled to 22 days. Probationary employees are generally excluded from annual leave, though exceptions fall under the discretion of the entity head. Employees on leave periods of at least 15 working days may request their salary in advance, as long as the amount does not exceed their end-of-service benefit balance.
The regulations identify seven conditions that qualify employees for annual leave and an equal number of scenarios where entitlement does not apply. Disqualifying periods include time spent on study leave, extended authorised absences beyond two months annually, imprisonment under certain court rulings, and any service rendered after the official conclusion of employment.
Unused leave does not simply lapse. Any balance remaining at year-end is automatically carried over, though the rollover is capped at half the employee’s annual entitlement. The entity head may approve carry-overs beyond that ceiling based on operational needs, but the total accumulated balance cannot exceed the annual entitlement in any case. Employees returning from national service have 12 months to use whatever leave they have accrued.
Financial compensation for unused leave is available under specific conditions — subject to a supervisor’s recommendation and budget availability — and is typically processed in the first quarter of the financial year. Employees whose service ends are entitled to compensation for any outstanding leave, calculated at a rate of seven calendar days for every five working days, based on daily salary.
Workers with disabilities receive an additional five days of annual leave each year. Promotions trigger adjustments to leave entitlements, effective from the promotion date.
Beyond annual leave, the framework sets fixed durations for 14 other categories. These cover, among others, six days for paternity leave, 10 days each for marriage and bereavement, three months for both maternity and adoption leave, four months and 10 days for the iddah waiting period, 15 days for Hajj, and three months for companion leave. Work-related injury leave stands at 12 days.
Study leave allocations vary by circumstance — three days for exams within the UAE, up to 15 days for those taken abroad, and 30 days for full-time academic study. Unpaid leave remains available subject to approval.
Sick leave is capped at 15 working days per year at full pay. Employees may take up to two days per instance without a medical certificate, provided total uncertified absences do not exceed 10 days in a year. Absences beyond that require certification from the relevant health authority. Certain medical conditions may be exempt from the annual cap, determined through official medical assessment. If sick leave surpasses six months within a year, the entity may refer the employee to a health authority to evaluate fitness for continued service or consider termination on medical grounds.
Reduced working hours of up to two hours daily may be approved on medical grounds and are counted as part of official working hours, with cases typically reviewed every three months.
All leave is calculated under the Gregorian calendar and includes public holidays unless specified otherwise. Pension contributions for UAE nationals continue throughout approved leave, unless the regulations state otherwise.
Employees who fail to return to work immediately upon a leave period’s conclusion may be classified as absent without authorisation, with applicable legal consequences under the regulations.
