A successful workplace in the UAE can no longer be judged by productivity alone. It must also support the people behind that performance, ensuring women can pursue their ambitions without having to choose between their careers and motherhood, according to Fatmah Rashed Alkaabi, Advisor, DG Office, Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority.
With 2026 designated as the UAE’s Year of the Family, the Parent-friendly Label is launching its fourth cycle and piloting its expansion into the government sector. The initiative aims to help employers turn family-friendly policies into everyday support for working parents.
“A truly future-ready employer cannot ask women to choose between professional ambition and motherhood, nor treat flexibility as a special concession,” Alkaabi said in an interview with Khaleej Times.
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That support includes maternity and return-to-work arrangements, nursing facilities and flexibility during childcare emergencies. Just as important, however, is reassurance that employees who use these measures will not lose visibility, trust or opportunities for career progression.
Fatmah Rashed Alkaabi, Advisor, DG Office, Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority.
Over the past decade, Emirati women have taken on more roles across the economy, science, education and energy. Workplace success, Alkaabi said, must now reflect how well organisations help employees navigate different stages of life.
“One of the most meaningful shifts over the past decade has been the move from policies on paper to environments where people genuinely feel supported.”
A summer with family, without giving up work
For one working mother, a two-month flexible summer working arrangement meant being able to travel with her children to Australia to reconnect with relatives they had not seen for three years.
She and her husband continued fulfilling their professional responsibilities remotely, combining the arrangement with annual leave.
The significance was not an extraordinary benefit, Alkaabi said, but the removal of a difficult choice between professional commitment and a meaningful family experience.
“This example reminds us that the true impact of policy is measured not in frameworks, but in moments that matter to families.”
The Parent-friendly Label encourages employers to respond to the realities of parenting, from school holidays and medical appointments to maternity leave and unexpected caregiving needs.
Its government-sector pilot could extend that approach to workplaces employing large numbers of Emirati professionals, while helping shape wider standards for family support.
“Ultimately, success is reached when a parent no longer feels compelled to apologise for being a parent but instead feels trusted to contribute fully at work while remaining present for their family.”
Making room for fathers
The initiative is also helping shift the conversation around fathers and shared caregiving. Figures cited in the interview show that 74 per cent of fathers in recognised organisations feel encouraged to take paternity leave.
For Alkaabi, the importance of a father’s presence is personal. Her father raised 10 children while working at a time when the weekend was limited to Friday, carefully planning leave and managing responsibilities to remain involved in school, community and family life.
“That example shaped my understanding that fatherhood and shared caregiving have always been part of our values, even before workplaces formally recognised them.”
The programme’s assessment goes beyond the number of leave days available. It examines whether employees understand their entitlements, managers apply policies consistently, and benefits and career opportunities are protected during leave.
Leadership matters, too. Senior figures who openly support family-friendly practices help make those arrangements normal rather than exceptional.
“When fathers are empowered to take an active role in care from the earliest days, mothers carry less of the invisible load, children benefit from stronger bonds with both parents, and workplaces become more equitable and resilient.”
Looking towards 2030
Aligning large organisations with the needs of young children presents a central challenge: 'How do we achieve scale without losing empathy?'
Through Leaders for Impact, which supports the Abu Dhabi Strategy for Early Childhood Development 2035, decision-makers are brought together around giving every child the strongest possible start in life.
That means ensuring systems serving thousands of employees still account for individual circumstances whether a mother is returning to work, a father wants to be present for his newborn, or a family is caring for a child of determination.
For young Emirati women aspiring to lead such initiatives, Alkaabi advised focusing on learning, responsibility and contribution rather than titles. Critical thinking, clear communication, mentorship and consistent delivery are essential to building influence.
“Leadership is not only about advancing your own path. It is about widening opportunities for others.”
By 2030, the ambition is for working Emirati mothers to see professional growth and family responsibilities as complementary, not competing.
Achieving that will also require stronger support for fathers and a workplace culture that treats caregiving as a shared responsibility. “Ultimately, success by 2030 will not be measured only by participation rates, but by whether working parents feel trusted, supported and able to contribute without compromise.”