🇦🇪 Working time rules
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.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Standard work week40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave30 days30 calendar days after 1 year of service (2 days/month during first year).
Statutory working time
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (Labour Law, Art. 17), working hours may not exceed 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week. During Ramadan, working hours are reduced by 2 hours per day for all employees.
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.