Working Hours and Overtime in The United Arab Emirates

In The United Arab Emirates, your company must comply with working hour and overtime laws – including daily limits, overtime thresholds, and rest requirements – to stay compliant and build a strong employee experience.

As you plan workforce schedules through 2026, you should expect continued enforcement of existing working time rules, closer scrutiny of overtime practices, and growing emphasis on employee wellbeing. This means documenting standard hours and overtime arrangements in contracts and policies, tracking actual hours worked, and ensuring that breaks, daily rest, and weekly rest days are consistently respected. Regulators are likely to focus on high-risk sectors such as construction, hospitality, and transport, so proactive compliance reviews and training for line managers are essential.

• Standard Working Hours
• Overtime Thresholds
• Overtime Pay Rates
• Daily And Weekly Rest Requirements
• Night Work Restrictions
• Penalties For Non-Compliance

What Are The Standard Working Hours In The United Arab Emirates?

An employee whose age is 15 or younger has a maximum of 0 hours per day and 0 hours per week. An employee whose age is 16 or older is allowed to work 48 hours per week. A minimum meal interval of 60 minutes must be observed by employees who work more than 5 consecutive hours in a day. In typical working hours, Monday through Friday, the hours are 9:00 to 18:00.

Maximum Working Hours In The United Arab Emirates

Under the UAE Labour Law, the general limit for adult employees in the private sector is 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, excluding unpaid meal and rest breaks. During the month of Ramadan, daily working hours for Muslim employees are typically reduced by 2 hours per day. Daily hours may be increased to 9 hours in certain sectors such as trade, hotels, and security, provided the weekly cap of 48 hours is respected and local rules are followed.

Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Retail, Hospitality, And Tourism Establishments
• Security, Guarding, And Surveillance Services
• Transport, Logistics, And Port Operations
• Construction, Oil And Gas, And Industrial Projects
• Healthcare, Emergency, And Essential Services

Managerial And Exempt Employees

Senior managerial or supervisory employees who have authority to direct staff, make key decisions, or represent the employer may be treated differently for working time and overtime purposes under UAE law and practice. Their schedules are often more flexible and may not be subject to strict hourly tracking, provided their employment contracts clearly define their role, responsibilities, and remuneration structure. Nonetheless, employers should avoid excessive working hours that could impact health and safety and should document any agreed flexibility in writing.

Statutory Full-Time Working Hours In The United Arab Emirates

Full-time employment in the UAE is generally based on a 48-hour workweek, usually spread over 5 or 6 days, depending on company policy and sector norms. Many employers adopt a 40–45 hour contractual week for competitive and wellbeing reasons, but statutory limits still apply. You should clearly state in employment contracts the normal daily and weekly hours, work pattern (for example, Monday–Friday or Monday–Saturday), and how breaks are scheduled, ensuring alignment with the UAE Labour Law and any applicable free zone regulations.

Overtime Regulations In The United Arab Emirates

What Counts As Overtime In The United Arab Emirates?

Overtime in the UAE is generally any time an employee works beyond the standard 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week, when such additional hours are requested or approved by the employer. Overtime must be recorded and compensated in accordance with the Labour Law, unless the employee falls within a genuine exempt or managerial category. Work performed at night, on weekly rest days, or on public holidays is also treated as overtime and attracts enhanced pay rates or compensatory time off, subject to statutory rules.

Maximum Overtime In The United Arab Emirates

The UAE Labour Law limits overtime so that total working hours, including overtime, do not normally exceed 2 additional hours per day. In exceptional circumstances, overtime may be required to prevent serious loss or address urgent operational needs, but employers must still respect health and safety obligations and avoid systematic overuse of overtime. You should monitor weekly and monthly overtime levels, ensure that employees receive adequate rest, and keep accurate records that can be produced to authorities in the event of an inspection or dispute.

Overtime Payout Rates In The United Arab Emirates

Overtime pay in the UAE is typically calculated on the basis of the employee’s basic hourly wage plus a statutory premium. For overtime worked on ordinary days, employees are generally entitled to their basic hourly wage plus at least 25% for each overtime hour. For overtime worked between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m., the premium usually increases to at least 50%, unless the employee is on a shift that is normally scheduled at night. Work performed on the employee’s weekly rest day or on official public holidays is usually compensated at a higher rate or with a combination of premium pay and compensatory time off. Employers should specify overtime calculation methods in contracts and payroll policies and ensure that all overtime payments are itemized on payslips.

Rest Periods And Breaks In The United Arab Emirates

In The United Arab Emirates, employees typically work up to 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week, and rest periods are designed to protect health and safety within these limits. Employers must schedule meal and rest breaks so that employees do not work more than 5 consecutive hours without at least a 60-minute break, and must also ensure adequate daily and weekly rest between shifts. Proper planning of rosters, especially in shift-based and high-intensity operations, is essential to remain compliant and to avoid fatigue-related risks.

• Meal Break Requirements
• Daily Rest
• Weekly Rest
• Minors
• Employer Duties