UAE’s equal pay law for men, women in private sector takes effect

DUBAI: A presidential decree mandating equal pay for men and women in the private sector took effect on Friday, state news agency WAM reported.

The new law stated that “female employees shall receive wages equal to that of males if they perform the same work or another of equal value.”

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan issued a decree to implement the new legislation, which was first approved by the country’s cabinet in 2018.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization said the new law elevated the country’s regional and international reputation in gender equality.

A World Economic Forum report published earlier this year claimed the UAE was a regional leader in bridging the gender pay gap.

“Congratulations to all the women working in the UAE private sector. This step will undoubtedly boost the social inclusivity of women, support their role in national development, and advance the UAE’s status on the world’s Gender Equality Index,” President of the UAE Gender Balance Council, Sheikha Manal bint Mohammed, said on Twitter.

The UAE ranked 26th globally in the United Nations Development Programmes’ 2019 Gender Inequality Index.