Quick answer: Full-time private-sector employees in the UAE are entitled to 30 calendar days of paid annual leave per year after 12 months of service.
If you're working onshore in the UAE on a private-sector contract, the short answer is 30 calendar days a year once you've completed your first 12 months. Less if you're newer. More if your contract says so. The detail is where people get tripped up — especially around how leave is calculated, when public holidays fall inside it, and what happens to unused days when you leave.
Quick answer
Under Article 29 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law), a full-time private-sector employee is entitled to 30 calendar days of paid annual leave per year after completing one year of service. Between six months and one year, you accrue 2 days per month. Under six months, no statutory entitlement, though many employers grant pro-rata leave. DIFC and ADGM employees follow separate rules — usually around 20 working days. Public holidays and sick days don't count against your annual leave.[1][2]
The 30-day rule, and what "calendar days" actually means
So how much annual leave am I entitled to in the UAE if I'm on a standard onshore contract? Thirty calendar days. Not working days.
This matters. A lot. If your leave runs Sunday to Sunday across two weeks, the weekends inside that period are counted as part of the 30. Article 29(5) of the Labour Law specifically says weekly rest days and official holidays falling within annual leave are counted as part of it — unless your contract or internal policy says otherwise.[1] Honestly, most employees assume the opposite, and it's one of the biggest sources of payroll disputes.
One useful exception: if a public holiday falls during your leave, Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 confirms it's still counted as leave under the default rule, but a generous employer policy can override that. Read your handbook before you book the flights.
Watch out: "30 calendar days" includes Saturdays, Sundays and any public holidays that land in your leave window. Your actual time away from desk is closer to 22 working days.
What if I haven't been there a year?
Between 6 and 12 months of service, you accrue 2 days of leave per month. That's roughly the same 30/12 maths, just framed monthly so HR can calculate it cleanly.[1]
Under 6 months? No statutory right. Some employers grant discretionary leave anyway — particularly the bigger groups — but they don't have to. Probation periods are still working time and still count toward the 6- and 12-month thresholds, which catches employers out more than employees.
Part-time workers under Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 get leave calculated proportionally based on actual hours worked versus a full-time equivalent. The MOHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) calculator on their portal does the maths if you enter your hours.[2]
DIFC and ADGM are different — don't mix them up
If your employment contract is with a company registered in the Dubai International Financial Centre or Abu Dhabi Global Market, the federal Labour Law doesn't apply to you.
DIFC Employment Law (DIFC Law No. 2 of 2019), Article 28, gives you a minimum of 20 working days per year once you've completed 90 days of continuous employment.[3] ADGM Employment Regulations 2024 mirror this at 20 working days.[4] Working days, not calendar days — which is why DIFC employees often end up with more usable time off than their onshore counterparts despite the smaller-looking number.
If you're not sure which regime applies, check your trade licence on your contract. The free zone is named on it.
Unused leave, cash-out, and end of service
You can carry leave over only with employer agreement, and frankly most policies cap carryover at a portion of the annual entitlement — typically half. The Labour Law itself doesn't force employers to allow unlimited rollover.
What it does force: payment in lieu of accrued, untaken leave when you leave the job. Article 29(8) requires the employer to pay you for any unused balance, calculated on your basic wage at the time of termination.[1] Note the word "basic" — not gross. Allowances are excluded unless your contract says otherwise. Many people get this wrong on the way out and end up arguing about a few thousand dirhams that were never theirs to claim.
If you're working out a notice period, the employer can ask you to use accrued leave during notice, but only if reasonable notice is given. They can't surprise you with it on day one of a 30-day notice.
Costs to know: Leave pay is calculated on full wage (basic + allowances) when you take the leave, but on basic wage only for end-of-service cash-out. The gap can be 30-40% of your monthly package.
Sick leave, maternity, and Hajj — separate buckets
None of these eat into your 30 days.
Sick leave is a separate 90-day annual entitlement under Article 31 (15 full pay, 30 half pay, 45 unpaid). Maternity leave is 60 days under Article 30 (45 full, 15 half). Parental leave is 5 working days. Hajj leave is up to 30 unpaid days, once during your service, under Article 33.[1]
If your employer is forcing you to use annual leave for a documented illness backed by an approved medical certificate, that's a Labour Law breach. File through the MOHRE complaints channel or call 600 590 000.
Citations
Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations, Articles 29-33. UAE Ministry of Justice / MOHRE published text.
Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 on the Implementation of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. MOHRE portal: mohre.gov.ae.
DIFC Employment Law, DIFC Law No. 2 of 2019, Article 28. DIFC Legal Database: difc.ae/laws-regulations.
+−How is end-of-service gratuity calculated under UAE Labour Law?
UAE end-of-service gratuity is calculated at 21 days of basic wage per year for years 1–5, then 30 days per year thereafter, capped at two years' wages.
