Alpha Nero - 70-day paid maternity leave for women

A Dubai-based company has announced a new 70-day paid maternity leave policy.

Retail design and production company Alpha Nero said the policy comes into force from February 2024.

The company joins a long list of local companies that are providing flexible work hours and longer maternity leave to women in order to retain good talent.

Severine Hoss, CFO and COO, Alpha Nero said, "As a mother of two children, I have chosen to extend maternity leave at Alpha Nero to 70 fully paid days to give women extra time to recover, bond with their babies, and ensure their family's well-being. We believe that this will be a true game changer for maternal health and happiness."

In UAE, the mandatory maternity leave is 45 calendar days, with employees of federal government getting 60 days off work. New mothers also get two 30-minute breaks for breastfeeding until the child is 2 years old.

Recently, Federal National Council (FNC) member Maryam Majid bin Thaniah had proposed an option to allow working mothers with children aged under 10, to have flexible working hours. In her proposal to Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, she suggested a system where mothers could work in office in the first half of the day and remotely from home in the second.

“We are a fast growing, regional company focused on bringing the best to our team who are at the core of all we do and achieve as a business,” said the company’s CEO Simon Hacker. “Women play a huge part in our organisation. They lead from every chair and have a voice in what is seen as a largely male-dominated industry. This new policy is our way of continuing to champion women in business.”