Nick Forster, College of Business, Al Faisal University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Aisha Al Ali Ebrahim, Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company Du PLC., Dubai, UAE
Nadia Alma Ibrahim, Research Analyst,  Emirates Airlines, Dubai, UAE

This article describes how Emirate women cope with the competing demands of work and family life and how these, in turn, affect their job performance, well-being and home lives. We found that many Emirate women face the same challenges in dealing with work-life balance and work-family conflicts as working-women in western countries do, although these are much more significant issues for Emirate women who work for private sector companies in the UAE. The article then describes policies that could be implemented by the Federal Government, and organizations in the UAE, to help Emirate women balance their work and family responsibilities more effectively; policies that would enable them to achieve their career goals and help them to achieve leadership positions in their organizations in the future. The broader implications of these findings for the future economic diversification of the country are also discussed.

Keywords: Emirate women; work-family balance; work-family conflict

Suggested citation: Forster, N., Ebrahim A.A.A.. & Ibrahim. A.A. (2013). An exploratory study of work-life balance and work-family conflicts in the United Arab Emirates. Skyline Business Journal, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp 34-42.

Forster, N., Ebrahim A.A.A.. & Ibrahim. A.A. (2013). An exploratory study of work-life balance and work-family conflicts in the United Arab Emirates. Skyline Business Journal, Volume 9, Issue 1, pp 34-42.