Working hours in the UAE private sector are set by Articles 17 to 21 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.
Normal hours
- No more than 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week.
- Some sectors and jobs can have longer or shorter hours under Cabinet decisions.
- Time spent travelling between home and work does not count, except in some cases set by the regulations.
Breaks
You should not work more than five hours in a row without a break. Breaks add up to at least one hour a day and are not counted as working time.
Ramadan
During Ramadan, private sector working hours are reduced by two hours a day, usually to 6 hours. This applies to all private sector workers, not only those who fast. Your pay does not change.
Overtime
- Overtime cannot be more than 2 hours a day, unless the work is needed to prevent a serious loss or accident.
- Total working hours, including overtime, should not be more than 144 hours every three weeks.
- Overtime pay is at least 125% of your basic hourly wage, or 150% for overtime between 10 pm and 4 am.
- Work on your rest day is paid at 150% or given a day off in its place.
Example: basic salary AED 6,000. Basic hourly pay is AED 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 25. One hour of normal overtime is AED 31.25, and one night hour is AED 37.50.
Rest day
Every worker gets at least one paid rest day a week. Your contract or employer sets which day.
Work out your overtime with the UAE overtime calculator, and count working days with the working days calculator. For holiday work, see UAE public holiday work pay.
Sources
- Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations
- Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 (Executive Regulations)
- Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024 (amendments, in force 31 August 2024)
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)
Related on Sumtrail
See also the UAE final settlement calculator and the UAE gratuity calculator.
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