Prime Highlights
- Emirati women work an average of 48.5 hours per week, driving the UAE’s economy and showing a growing role in key sectors.
- Women hold 26% of Cabinet positions and occupy 63% of leadership roles in government, highlighting their influence in national development.
Key Facts
- Skilled female employees account for 45.4% of the total female workforce, while women hold 29.9% of all skilled roles nationwide.
- Emirati women dominate key sectors, representing 66.4% of healthcare, 72.3% of education, and 37.9% of IT jobs, with over 97% of skilled Emirati employees in the private sector.
Background
Emirati women drive the UAE’s economy and work the most hours per week in the Arab world in 2025. According to World Population Review, they work an average of 48.5 hours per week, showing their growing role in key sectors and their contribution to the country’s fast-growing economy.
The UAE continues to earn top positions in global gender balance indicators. It ranked first in the region in the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Gender Gap Report and placed 13th globally in the UNDP Gender Equality Index 2025. The World Bank’s 2024 Women, Business and the Law report scored the UAE 82.5 points out of 100, while the Women, Peace and Security Index 2023–2024 placed the country first in the region.
Women now hold 26% of Cabinet positions and lead major portfolios such as education, climate change and community development. They make up 71% of the total Emirati workforce and occupy 63% of leadership roles in government. Emirati women also represent 13% of the nation’s ambassadors.
New labour data highlights the expanding role of women in skilled professions. Skilled female employees account for 45.4% of the total female workforce, while women hold 29.9% of all skilled roles nationwide. In the third quarter of the year, 35.8% of establishments hired women, pointing to widening opportunities in the private sector.
Women maintain a strong footprint in vital industries, covering 66.4% of healthcare positions, 72.3% of education roles, and 37.9% of IT jobs. Emirati women also represent more than 97 per cent of skilled Emirati employees in the private sector, reinforcing their leading role in the country’s development path.
