ILO discusses maternity benefits and implications for labour markets in the Arab Gulf countries

MUSCAT (ILO News) - The Executive Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Labour and Ministers of Social Affairs in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in coordination with Oman’s Ministry of Labour, and in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) convened a workshop dedicated to the review of the status and progress of maternity benefit policies and schemes and their implications on the GCC labour market.

The two-day event, held in the Oman capital Muscat on 22-23 January, focused on sharing regional experiences and identifying opportunities to progressively set forth transformative and nationally designed care policies.

© MOL Oman

© MOL Oman

Speaking at the event, the Director General of Planning at the Ministry of Labour in Oman Amal al-Sabti emphasized: “This workshop highlights our shared commitment to strengthening the labour market that supports workers and families. The Sultanate of Oman is proud of its leadership in recent social protection and labour reforms, and we look forward to learning from our partners in the GCC. The Sultanate's updates on the social protection system are in line with the Oman Vision 2040 with the aim of enhancing the labour market environment to make it more empowering for women on the one hand and striking a balance between the producers on the other."

© MOL Oman

© MOL Oman

Khalil Buhazaa, Director of Labour Affairs at the GCC Executive Bureau, highlighted: This workshop highlights our shared commitment to working closely with the ILO and Member States to promote policies that are in line with international standards and reflect the aspirations of our societies. We appreciate this opportunity to share experiences and explore innovative solutions”.

© MOL Oman

© MOL Oman

Lea Bou Khater, ILO Social Protection Technical Officer, noted: “Advancing maternity protection policies in the GCC is crucial for addressing the persistent gender gap in labour force participation and achieving gender equality in the workplace. This workshop aims to provide actionable insights and foster a collective vision for transformative care policies in the region.”

A Collaborative Effort for Reform and Inclusion

The workshop built upon the ILO’s ongoing partnership with GCC states to advance decent work and sustainable development in the region. This partnership previously facilitated a series of regional workshops on End-of-Service Indemnity (EOSI) reforms, reflecting a growing commitment to advancing social protection systems in the region, as part of the project Extending Social Protection to Migrant Workers: Exploratory Research and Policy Dialogue in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries | International Labour Organization.

The ILO and the Executive Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs of the GCC launched a comprehensive Plan of Joint Activities for the period 2025-2029. This initiative aims to strengthen cooperation and promote the Decent Work Agenda across the GCC region.

The ILO’s contribution is supported by the STREAM project (Strengthening Social Protection for Migrants), a new global multi-partners initiative funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). STREAM, with a USD 7.6 million investment, focuses on improving the social protection of migrant workers and their families in the South Asia–Gulf migration corridor. The project’s four pillars include policy reform, enhanced access to social protection, strengthened dialogue between origin and destination countries, and building a robust evidence base for advocacy.

© MOL Oman

© MOL Oman

New Social Insurance maternity benefits in the Gulf region

The workshop brought together representatives from the ministries of labour and social security institutions from GCC countries. Participants shared insights and experiences of national child-care related policies.

Oman was well-placed to host the event. In July 2024, the country began implementing new social insurance maternity benefits for Omani and non-Omani mothers, making it the only country in the GCC and one of the five countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region that are aligned with all three key requirements of ILO Convention N.183 on maternity leave. It meets the three requirements through granting 14 weeks of maternity leave, paid at 100 per cent of previous earnings and through a social insurance scheme. The new scheme is part of ambitious and wide-ranging social protection reforms in Oman, developed with the support of the ILO and adopted in July 2023.

In a first for the GCC region, Oman has also introduced seven days of paid paternity leave for all employed Omani and non-Omani fathers at full salary. Saudi Arabia has also recently increased maternity leave from 10 weeks to 12 weeks and changed the maternity benefits funding scheme from employer liability to social insurance for both national and non-nationals.

The ILO’s participation in the workshop delved into the importance of “Maternity Protection and Care Policies for a Better Future of Work in the Arab Gulf Countries,” highlighting the need to ensure a continuum of childcare-related leave and services to guarantee the best early start for children and income security for families, enabling women to maintain employment participation and helping to prevent them from falling into poverty. There is a strong employment generation case for investing in integrated and transformative care policy packages: Results of the ILO’s Care Policy Investment Simulator show that investing in universal childcare and long-term care services could generate close to 13 million jobs by 2035 in MENA countries.