Year-long sabbatical leave will be implemented from January 2, 2023 by UAE for citizens working in the government sector and wishing to start their own business ventures. The initiative was first announced in July this year by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as a means to allow Emiratis to start their own entrepreneurial journeys while retaining government jobs.
Emiratis will get half their salaries during this period. The year-long sabbatical is among the paid leaves that will be offered to Emiratis working in the government sector and wishing to start or manage their businesses in the private sector. The leave will be approved by the head of the federal authority the employee works for and can be combined with unpaid leave and annual leave.
The UAE national employees of the federal government can check the conditions and requirements for obtaining an Entrepreneurship Leave for self-employment, through visiting the website of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources www.fahr.gov.ae.
