• Birth mothers can avail 20 weeks of paid maternity leave, including one month before the birth of a child
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• Paid family leave of 6 weeks for all new parents, regardless of gender; reduced work schedule for primary caregivers following parental leave
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• Benefits contribute to the Vision 2030 goals of empowering all members of society, achieving gender balance, 
  and supporting women in building long-term careers

As Saudi Arabia strives to accelerate progress towards a gender-balanced workforce, Amazon Saudi outlined its paid parental leave policy that benefits all employees who have become new parents, regardless of gender. Reiterated in celebration of International Women's Day, the inclusive policy offers both parents, who have completed one year of service, paid parental leave for up to 6 weeks within the first year following the birth of a child. Birth mothers can choose to add the 6 weeks of parental leave to their 14 weeks of maternity leave to avail 20 weeks of paid time off, including one month before birth, to focus on parenthood and the family. 

Abdo Chlala, Country Manager, Amazon Saudi Arabia, said, “We continue to listen and evolve our employee experience to ensure our policies and benefits deliver the support new parents need to thrive both at work and at home. Amazon’s parental leave policies represent another important step towards meaningful progress that will support Saudi Arabia’s drive to unleash the full potential of its people. Ensuring gender equality in the workplace is crucial to achieving the Saudi Vision 2030 objectives of a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation. We at Amazon are proud to contribute to bringing these goals to life.” 

As Amazon supports its employees back to its office sites across Saudi Arabia, the policies underscore Amazon’s continued commitment to supporting working parents in creating the right harmony between home life and work life. As part of a broader benefits package for new parents, Amazon also provides a ‘Ramp-Back’ program that offers primary caregivers eight consecutive weeks of flexibility and partial work hours as they adjust to work schedules as new parents. 

“A parent’s return-to-work plan after the birth of a child is just as important as the leave itself. Our ‘Ramp-Back’ program allows new parents to ease their transition back to the workplace and customize their schedules, giving them the flexibility to prioritize family responsibilities as they resume work following their parental leave. Amazon’s parental leave policies are designed with the broader view of easing the burden on primary caregivers by providing parental benefits to both parents. We aim to support families with the time and space to focus on their child, giving them the confidence that as an employer, we fully recognize and support their journey during this special life stage,” explains Bikram Walia, Director, Human Resources, Amazon MENA. 

“Bonding with my newborn was extremely important to me. Knowing that Amazon understands what a mother needs during this phase was very comforting and allowed me to focus my full attention on my child and the needs of my growing family. The policy enabled me to start my leave a month before my child was due, and that allowed me the time and mental space to focus on myself and my needs as well,” said Dana AlShahrani, Delivery Station Shift Manager at Amazon Saudi Arabia, who spoke about her maternity experience. 

Beyond parental leave, Amazon strives to enhance the employee experience for parents and primary caregivers by creating an inclusive work environment, nurturing a culture underpinned by empathy, and fostering a strong sense of employer and team support through various touchpoints: 

• Mothers’ Rooms: All Amazon offices and operations sites in Saudi Arabia include dedicated and fully-equipped Mothers’ Rooms.
• Frustration-free Leave Experience: To ensure parental leave applications remain frustration-free, a dedicated ‘leave services’ team is on hand to help plan and schedule parental leave, including return-to-work schedules.
• Manager Trainings: All managers and leaders are empowered through trainings, resources and guidance to practice empathy and help expecting employees through this important life event and during the transition from pregnancy to motherhood and back to the workplace. 
• Community Networks: Amazon has a thriving community support network delivered through affinity groups such as the ‘Families@’ affinity group for working parents, which shares knowledge, fosters career growth and cultivates community connections among parents, while advocating for policies for women with children.

Amazon’s commitment to the well-being of its employees ensures that employees are recognized for their work through valuable benefits for themselves and their families. The company’s parental leave policy demonstrates its support for employees through all stages of their lives.