Maternity Leave Compared Across 8 Countries: UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, India & Philippines
From 50 days to 182, from full pay to a full-and-half split, from day-one eligibility to a one-year service gate — here's how paid maternity leave stacks up across eight countries.
Paid maternity leave varies enormously across the GCC and Asia — not just in length, but in whether it's fully paid, whether you need minimum service, and who foots the bill. Here is every rule we've documented on our calculators, side by side.
The comparison table
| Country | Duration | Pay | Min. service | Funded by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇪 UAE | 60 days | 45 full + 15 half | None (day one) | Employer |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 84 days (12 weeks) | Full pay | None (tiers removed 2025) | Employer |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | 50 days | Full pay | 1 year continuous | Employer |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 70 days | Full pay (÷26 daily) | None | Employer |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 60 days | Full pay | None | Employer |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | 98 days | Full pay | None (removed 2023) | Employer |
| 🇮🇳 India | 182 days (26 wks); 84 from 3rd child | Full pay | 80 days worked in prior 12 mo | Employer |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 105 days (+15 solo parent) | Full pay | 3 SSS contributions in prior 12 mo | SSS + employer top-up |
Sources: each country's Calcnate maternity guide — UAE, Saudi, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, India, Philippines.
Which country gives the most?
India leads by a wide margin — 26 weeks (182 days) of fully paid leave for a first or second child under the Maternity Benefit Act, dropping to 12 weeks (84 days) from the third child onward. The Philippines is next at 105 days for every pregnancy (with no reduction by child count, unlike India), plus 15 extra days for solo parents. Oman's 98 days leads the GCC after its 2023 reform nearly doubled the old 50-day entitlement.
Which is the least generous?
Qatar's 50 days is the shortest here — and it's the only one with a real one-year continuous-service gate: our Qatar calculator returns "not eligible" below 366 days of service. (Note this covers the private sector; a separate, more generous 2025 public-sector law is not what these figures reflect.) The UAE's 60 days is also on the low side and uniquely splits into full-then-half pay rather than being fully paid throughout.
The eligibility gates
Most GCC countries have no minimum service — including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and (since their respective 2025/2023 reforms) Saudi Arabia and Oman, which both removed their old service tiers. The exceptions:
- Qatar: 1 year of continuous service required.
- India: at least 80 days worked in the 12 months before the expected delivery; the Act applies to establishments with 10 or more employees.
- Philippines: at least 3 monthly SSS contributions in the 12 months before childbirth.
Who actually pays?
In every GCC country listed, the employer pays maternity leave in full — there's no social-insurance maternity fund for the private sector. The Philippines is the structural outlier: the benefit is funded by the SSS (Social Security System), with the employer paying a "salary differential" top-up to bring it up to full pay. India's benefit is employer-paid under the Maternity Benefit Act.
The pay-structure quirks
- UAE is the only country here that splits the pay — 45 days full, 15 days half — rather than paying the whole period at 100%.
- Kuwait pays 70 days full but uses a ÷26 daily divisor (matching its indemnity and leave divisors), plus up to 4 further months of unpaid childcare leave on request.
- India is the only one that reduces the entitlement by child count (26 weeks for the first two, 12 weeks thereafter).
Check your entitlement
Open your country's calculator, enter your salary (and service where it matters) to see your days and pay:
Frequently asked questions
Which country gives the longest paid maternity leave?
India, at 26 weeks (182 days) of fully paid leave for a first or second child under the Maternity Benefit Act, followed by the Philippines at 105 days for every pregnancy.
Which country has the shortest maternity leave in the GCC?
Qatar's 50 days (private sector) is the shortest, and it is the only one with a one-year continuous-service eligibility requirement.
Do I need minimum service to get maternity leave?
In most GCC countries no — the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and post-reform Saudi Arabia and Oman have no service requirement. Qatar requires one year, India requires 80 days worked in the prior 12 months, and the Philippines requires 3 SSS contributions in the prior 12 months.
Who pays for maternity leave?
In every GCC country the employer pays in full. The Philippines is different — the benefit is funded by the SSS with an employer salary-differential top-up.
Is UAE maternity leave fully paid?
Not entirely — the UAE pays the first 45 days at full pay and the final 15 days at half pay, whereas Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, India and the Philippines pay their maternity leave at full pay throughout.