Dubai Offers Cash, Training, and Paid Leave to Boost Young Marriages
The “Starting Right” program provides financial aid, marriage courses, and workplace benefits to encourage early marriages and strengthen Emirati family life, aiming to double the number of Emirati families by 2033.
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Dubai has launched a new initiative called “Starting Right,” designed to support young couples through a combination of financial benefits and practical education. So far, 1,013 people have participated in the program, with 208 of them receiving additional financial assistance.
The program includes a course offering practical tools for financial planning, family life management, and housing decision-making—aimed at strengthening marital stability and building a secure future together.
In addition, the Dubai government is promoting better work-life balance by granting 10 days of marriage leave to public sector employees and allowing new mothers to work remotely on Fridays during their first year after maternity leave.
The program’s main beneficiaries are men aged 26–30 and women aged 20–25. Inspired by its success, other emirates such as Abu Dhabi have launched similar initiatives, including the “Madayem” program, which offers interest-free loans of up to 150,000 dirhams to newlyweds.
These efforts are part of the Dubai Social Agenda 33, which aims to double the number of Emirati families by the year 2033.
Countries around the world are increasingly dealing with the problem of plummeting marriage and subsequently plummeting birth rates, which endangers social stability and existing safety nets. The hope is that efforts such as those promoted in the UAE and elsewhere will help stem the tide and keep the local population level, even if not increasing at the rate it once did.
President Donald Trump has also been promoting the idea of government support for families, especially in the form of "baby bonuses" awarded at the moment of birth.