UAE Workers Can Now Get One Year Paid Leave From January 2023

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a paid leave initiative that will allow employees to take a year off in order to launch a business and become entrepreneurs.

According to the details, the UAE government will begin the implementation of the entrepreneurship leave for self-employment scheme on 2 January 2023. Note here that the initiative is only for UAE nationals working in federal government departments.

The scheme is reportedly the first of its kind in the whole world and is part of the “Projects of the 50” program unveiled last year by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister (PM), and Ruler of Dubai.

The move will promote entrepreneurship in the emirates and will influence UAE nationals to start their own companies.

The Entrepreneurship Leave for self-employment aims to empower the UAE national cadres and talents and motivate them to approach the world of entrepreneurship and explore its fields, which will reflect positively on the future national economy. pic.twitter.com/Fi0JDAXJ6t

— FAHR (@FAHR_UAE) December 27, 2022

Speaking about the leave, acting Director-General (DG) of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, Laila Obaid Al Suwaidi, stated that the entrepreneurship leave for self-employment demonstrates the innovative vision of the UAE leaders.

Moreover, she revealed that the government will also collaborate with the business incubators and the private sector in order to train the workers who benefit from the leave.

She further added that the Ministries of Economy, Human Resources, and Emiratization (MoHRE), and the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) have put together a comprehensive guide of economic projects and businesses that help rejuvenate the country’s economy.

This guide also includes information that will help the government decide whether to grant employees entrepreneurship leave so they can start their own businesses, Laila Obaid Al Suwaidi noted.