Alkaabi said label earners have introduced institutional initiatives that directly affect the lives of working parents, creating long-term benefits for their children, communities, and the organisations themselves. Some offer six months’ maternity leave, eight weeks’ paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, and dedicated support for parents of children of determination. These measures, she explained, reduce stress, strengthen families, and enhance wellbeing, equity, productivity, and global competitiveness.

“Our primary objective is to drive social change across the UAE by fostering a deeper understanding of the unique journey of working parents,” Alkaabi said.

“This shift represents a long-term investment in child wellbeing and national development goals. Parent-supportive workplaces enhance healthy child development by encouraging beneficial practices like breastfeeding, which improve mother and child health,” she added.

She acknowledged that some employers, particularly smaller firms, may have concerns about potential disruption and costs. To address these, Alkaabi said the PFL programme offers free support to foster inclusive policies and has already impacted more than one million employees worldwide.

“One of [the programme’s] most valuable features is a structured feedback process, through which all applicants, regardless of outcome, receive an independent assessment highlighting their strengths and areas for improvement.”

She added that the PFL team also connects organisations with experts and peers to help refine existing policies or develop new ones that align with both the programme’s criteria and the unique culture of the organisation.

Cycle 3 honoured 12 national and international organisations, including three earning the PFL+ for meeting or exceeding global standards in parent-friendly policies — HSBC, Ethara, and TAQA Transmission.

The remaining nine — ADNOC, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Miral, DP World, The Developing Child Centre, Procter & Gamble, Strategy& Middle East, Kraft Heinz, and SLB — earned the PFL for exceeding local best practices.

Alkaabi said the ECA will continue to benchmark against leading global models to ensure the programme’s evaluation criteria align with international standards, while remaining contextually relevant to the UAE. This ongoing refinement, she explained, is key to sustaining progress and widening the adoption of parent-friendly policies across sectors.

“Looking ahead, we will continue expanding the programme’s reach to all sectors across the UAE and drive a nationwide shift to parent-friendly work culture across all industries.”