Working Time Rules: United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.
Statutory working time
Private-sector normal hours are generally eight a day or forty-eight a week under Article 17 of Federal Decree-Law 33/2021. Ramadan reduces normal daily hours by two. Sector exceptions and government schedules require separate checks.
Overtime
Overtime is capped at two hours a day, and total working hours may not exceed 144 hours in any three weeks. It is paid at the basic wage for normal hours plus at least 25%, rising to at least 50% for overtime between 10 pm and 4 am, which does not apply to shift workers. Work on a contractual rest day is compensated with another rest day, or with that day’s wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage.
Rest periods
A worker may not work more than five consecutive hours without rest periods totalling at least one hour. Weekly rest is at least one paid day, set by the employment contract or the work regulations, and a worker may not be required to work more than two consecutive rest days.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.