What counts as overtime in the UAE?
Overtime is any work you do beyond your normal working hours, when your employer asks for it or needs it. In the UAE private sector, the normal maximum is 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week, under Article 17 of the Labour Law. If your normal day is 8 hours and you stay 2 extra hours at your manager's request, those 2 hours are overtime.
Overtime also covers work done on your weekly rest day and on official public holidays, although these follow slightly different rules. The law gives you a choice of compensation in those cases: another day off, or extra pay.
Breaks do not count as working time. The law says you must get a break of at least one hour if you work five hours in a row, and that break is not part of your working hours. Commuting from home to work is also normally excluded. So when you count overtime, count only the real extra working time.
Overtime matters a lot for workers in construction, hospitality, retail, logistics and security, where long days are common. A few hours each week can add hundreds of dirhams a month, and errors add up quickly. That is why it helps to know the formula and check it yourself.
The legal basis: Article 19 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021
Overtime in the UAE private sector is governed by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (in force since 2 February 2022) and its Executive Regulations, Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022.
- Article 17 sets normal working hours at a maximum of 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week, with possible changes for some sectors by Cabinet decision. It also covers breaks and says commuting time is generally not working time.
- Article 19(1) lets the employer require overtime, but it should not exceed two hours a day (except under conditions in the Executive Regulations), and total working hours must not exceed 144 hours every three weeks.
- Article 19(2) says overtime is paid at the wage for normal hours, calculated on the basic wage, plus at least 25%.
- Article 19(3) raises the premium to at least 50% for overtime worked between 10 pm and 4 am. This does not apply to workers on shift systems.
- Article 19(4) says that if you work on your rest day, you get either a substitute rest day or the normal wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage.
- Article 19(5) says workers (except daily-paid workers) should not be required to work more than two consecutive rest days.
- Article 20 lets the Executive Regulations exempt some categories of workers from these hour rules.
- Article 28(2) covers work on official public holidays: a substitute day for each day worked, or the normal wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage.
- Article 15 of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 gives the detail: when overtime may exceed two hours, when commuting time counts, and which roles are exempt.
UAE overtime rates at a glance
| Type of work | Minimum pay | Multiplier on basic hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Normal overtime (day or evening) | Basic hourly wage + 25% | 1.25× |
| Overtime between 10 pm and 4 am | Basic hourly wage + 50% | 1.50× |
| Night overtime for shift workers | Basic hourly wage + 25% | 1.25× |
| Work on weekly rest day | Substitute rest day, or normal wage + 50% | 1.50× (if paid) |
| Work on official public holiday | Substitute day, or normal wage + 50% of basic | 1.50× (if paid) |
These are minimums. Your employer can always pay more, for example 150% for all overtime, and some contracts do. If your contract is better than the law, the contract applies.
How to calculate your hourly wage in the UAE
Everything starts with the basic hourly rate. Here is an important point many guides skip: the Decree-Law and the Executive Regulations do not give one fixed formula for turning a monthly salary into an hourly rate. They say overtime is based on the basic wage for normal hours, but they do not say whether to divide by 30 days, 26 days or 365 days. As a result, two methods are used in the market:
Method 1: Basic ÷ 30 ÷ daily hours
Hourly basic wage = Daily basic wage ÷ Normal daily hours
This is the most common method. It matches the way the UAE treats a month as 30 days elsewhere in the Labour Law (Article 67 says a month is counted as 30 days when calculating periods), and it is the same daily rate employers use for gratuity and leave encashment. This is the default in our calculator.
Method 2: Basic × 12 ÷ 365 ÷ daily hours
Hourly basic wage = Daily basic wage ÷ Normal daily hours
Some payroll systems and HR consultancies prefer this method because it spreads the annual salary over every calendar day. It gives a slightly lower hourly rate (about 1.4% less) than Method 1.
| Monthly basic | Hourly (÷30 ÷8) | Hourly (×12 ÷365 ÷8) |
|---|---|---|
| AED 2,000 | AED 8.33 | AED 8.22 |
| AED 3,000 | AED 12.50 | AED 12.33 |
| AED 4,500 | AED 18.75 | AED 18.49 |
| AED 6,000 | AED 25.00 | AED 24.66 |
| AED 10,000 | AED 41.67 | AED 41.10 |
Neither method is "wrong" as long as your employer applies it consistently and the result is not below the legal minimum. If you are unsure which your company uses, ask HR or check your payslip. If there is a dispute, MOHRE can tell you what it accepts.
Note that the daily hours you divide by should be your normal hours. If you work 9 normal hours in a sector where that is allowed, divide by 9. In Ramadan, the normal hours are reduced, but your salary stays the same. This calculator divides by whatever daily hours you enter.
How to calculate overtime in the UAE: step by step
Step 1: Find your basic hourly wage
Step 2: Apply the right premium
Night OT pay (10 pm–4 am) = Hourly × 1.50 × Night OT hours
Rest-day / holiday pay = Hourly × 1.50 × Hours worked on rest day
Step 3: Add them up
If you work on a shift system, the night premium of 50% does not apply, so the calculator uses 1.25 for those hours. If your employer gives you a substitute rest day instead of pay for rest-day work, leave the rest-day hours at zero, because you are compensated with time off instead.
Worked examples
All examples use Method 1 (basic ÷ 30 ÷ 8). Enter the same numbers in the calculator to see the same results.
Example 1: Simple evening overtime
Imran is a warehouse assistant with a basic salary of AED 3,000. He works 8 normal hours a day. In one month he did 20 hours of overtime, all before 10 pm, over 26 working days.
- Daily basic: 3,000 ÷ 30 = AED 100.00
- Hourly basic: 100 ÷ 8 = AED 12.50
- Overtime rate: 12.50 × 1.25 = AED 15.63 (exactly 15.625)
- Overtime pay: 12.50 × 1.25 × 20 = AED 312.50
Average overtime per working day is 20 ÷ 26 = 0.77 hours, well within the 2-hour daily limit.
Example 2: Mixed normal, night and rest-day work
Grace is a hotel supervisor with a basic salary of AED 4,500 and an 8-hour day. She does not work on a rotating shift system. This month she did 10 hours of normal overtime, 6 hours of overtime between 10 pm and 4 am, and worked 8 hours on her rest day, which was paid rather than replaced.
- Hourly basic: 4,500 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 18.75
- Normal overtime: 18.75 × 1.25 × 10 = AED 234.38
- Night overtime: 18.75 × 1.50 × 6 = AED 168.75
- Rest-day work: 18.75 × 1.50 × 8 = AED 225.00
- Total: AED 628.13
If her employer used Method 2 (×12 ÷ 365), her hourly rate would be AED 18.49 and the total about AED 619.52. That is a difference of under AED 9 for the month.
Example 3: Overtime in Ramadan
Sami is an office administrator with a basic salary of AED 6,000. During Ramadan his normal day is reduced from 8 to 6 hours. He worked 12 overtime hours in the month, all in the afternoon, over 22 working days.
- Hourly basic (Ramadan, 6-hour day): 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 6 = AED 33.33
- Overtime pay: 33.33 × 1.25 × 12 = AED 500.00
Some employers keep dividing by 8 in Ramadan, which would give AED 25.00 per hour and AED 375.00 in total. The law does not settle which divisor is correct, so check with your HR or MOHRE. Our calculator lets you enter 6 or 8 to see both results.
Example 4: Over the daily limit
A worker with a basic salary of AED 2,400 enters 70 normal overtime hours over 26 working days. The calculator pays AED 875.00 (10.00 × 1.25 × 70) but warns that the average is about 2.69 hours a day, which is above the 2-hour legal limit. All hours worked must still be paid, but the employer may be breaking the hours rules.
Overtime limits: 2 hours a day and 144 hours in 3 weeks
The law protects workers from being worked too hard. Under Article 19(1):
- Overtime should not be more than 2 hours a day.
- Total working hours (normal plus overtime) must not be more than 144 hours in any three weeks.
The Executive Regulations allow the daily limit to be exceeded only in exceptional cases, such as work needed to prevent a serious loss or a serious accident, or to deal with its effects. Even then, you must be paid for every hour.
Let us check the three-week limit. A six-day week of 8 hours is 48 hours. Three such weeks is exactly 144 hours. So a worker already on a 48-hour week has very little room for regular overtime across three weeks unless the employer reduces other days. On a five-day 40-hour week, three weeks is 120 hours, which leaves up to 24 hours of overtime in that period.
| Normal schedule | Normal hours in 3 weeks | Room for overtime under 144-hour cap |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days × 8 hours | 120 | Up to 24 hours |
| 5.5 days × 8 hours (44 h/week) | 132 | Up to 12 hours |
| 6 days × 8 hours | 144 | None, unless exceptional |
The calculator checks the daily average using the working days you enter. It is only a rough guide, because the daily limit applies to each day, not to the average.
Ramadan working hours and overtime
During the holy month of Ramadan, normal working hours in the private sector are reduced by two hours a day. This applies to all employees, whether or not they are fasting. Your monthly salary does not go down.
Work done beyond the reduced Ramadan hours counts as overtime and should be paid at the same rates: 25% extra for normal overtime and 50% extra between 10 pm and 4 am (except shift workers). MOHRE usually announces the Ramadan hours each year and may allow flexible or remote arrangements within the daily limit.
To use the calculator for Ramadan, set "Normal working hours per day" to 6 (or your reduced hours). If your employer uses the regular 8-hour divisor all year, keep 8 instead.
Special cases and exemptions
Who is exempt from the hours rules?
Article 15 of the Executive Regulations lists workers who are not covered by the maximum hours rules, including:
- Chairs and members of boards of directors.
- Supervisory staff whose positions give them the employer's powers.
- Crews of naval vessels and seafarers with special service conditions.
- Workers in continuous technical shift work, as long as average hours do not exceed 56 a week.
Being a "supervisor" by job title alone is not enough. The test is whether you actually hold management powers on behalf of the employer. If you are unsure, ask MOHRE.
Shift workers
The higher 50% night premium does not apply to workers whose normal schedule includes night shifts. Their extra hours are still paid at the 25% overtime rate.
Rest days and public holidays
Most private employers give one or two rest days a week. If you work on that day, the employer can give you another rest day instead of extra pay. The same applies to official public holidays such as Eid under Article 28. If you are paid instead, it is your normal wage plus at least 50% of basic.
Part-time and flexible work
Part-time workers have their hours set in the contract. Hours beyond the agreed part-time schedule are typically treated as additional work, and the contract should say how they are paid. When in doubt, the overtime rules are a useful benchmark.
Free zones, DIFC and ADGM
Most free zones apply the federal Labour Law, including these overtime rules. DIFC and ADGM have their own employment laws, which have their own rules on working time and overtime. Check those laws if you work there.
Domestic workers
Domestic workers are covered by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, which has separate rules on daily rest and working time. This calculator is for private sector workers under Decree-Law 33.
Overtime and other benefits
Overtime pay is not part of your basic salary. It does not increase your gratuity, which is calculated on basic salary. See our UAE Gratuity Calculator and UAE Salary Calculator to see what your basic salary affects. If you are leaving your job, unpaid overtime should be part of your final settlement.
Common mistakes
- Using gross salary. UAE overtime is calculated on basic salary unless your contract says otherwise. Using your full package will overstate the amount.
- Applying 50% to all evening work. The night rate is only for hours between 10 pm and 4 am. Overtime from 6 pm to 10 pm is at 25%.
- Counting breaks or travel time. These are usually not working time, with limited exceptions.
- Forgetting the substitute day option. For rest-day and holiday work, the employer may legally give you time off instead of extra pay.
- Ignoring the Ramadan reduction. Hours beyond the reduced Ramadan day are overtime, even if they used to be normal hours.
- Not keeping records. Without a timesheet or messages showing your hours, it is hard to prove a claim.
What to do if your overtime is not paid
Start by keeping your own simple log: date, start time, end time, breaks, and who asked you to stay. Ask HR in writing for your overtime statement. Many disputes are just payroll errors.
If the employer still does not pay, you can file a labour complaint with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE):
- Through the MOHRE app on Android or iPhone, under the employee complaint service.
- Through the official website, mohre.gov.ae.
- Through MOHRE's 600 590000 number (call centre and WhatsApp).
- At a Tawafuq or other MOHRE-approved service centre.
Since the 2024 amendment (Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024), MOHRE can issue binding decisions on claims up to AED 50,000, and labour claims can be brought within two years of the end of employment. Do not wait too long; file as soon as you can.
Tips: keep copies of your contract and payslips, take screenshots of messages asking you to work late, and stay polite in writing. If your employer pays salary through the Wage Protection System (WPS), your bank statement is extra proof of what was paid. For other leave-related amounts, our UAE Leave Salary Calculator can help.
Frequently asked questions
Is UAE overtime calculated on basic salary or total salary?
On basic salary. Article 19 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 says overtime is paid at the wage for normal hours calculated on the basic wage, plus a premium. Allowances such as housing and transport are not included unless your contract is more generous.
What is the overtime rate in the UAE?
Normal overtime is paid at the basic hourly wage plus at least 25%, so 125%. Overtime between 10 pm and 4 am is paid at the basic hourly wage plus at least 50%, so 150%, except for shift workers. Work on a rest day earns a substitute day off or the normal wage plus at least 50%.
How do I calculate my hourly wage in the UAE?
The law does not fix a formula. The common methods are basic salary divided by 30 and then by your daily normal hours, or basic salary times 12, divided by 365, then by daily hours. For 8 hours a day and AED 3,000 basic, the first method gives AED 12.50 per hour.
How many overtime hours are allowed per day in the UAE?
Overtime should not exceed two hours a day, and total working hours must not exceed 144 hours in any three weeks. More hours are allowed only in exceptional cases, such as preventing serious loss or a serious accident.
Can my employer force me to work overtime?
The employer may ask you to work overtime when work needs require it, within the legal limits, and must pay for it. Requests beyond the daily and three-week limits are not allowed except in the emergency cases in the Executive Regulations.
Do managers get overtime in the UAE?
The Executive Regulations exempt certain roles from the maximum working hours rules, including board chairs and members, and supervisory staff who hold the employer's powers. Seafarers and some continuous shift workers also have special rules. Check your role and contract.
What are working hours during Ramadan in the UAE?
Private sector working hours are reduced by two hours a day during Ramadan, for all employees. Work beyond the reduced hours counts as overtime and is paid at the same overtime rates.
Is work on a public holiday paid as overtime?
Under Article 28, if you work on an official public holiday you should get a substitute day off for each day worked, or your normal wage for that day plus at least 50% of your basic wage.
Does travel time count as overtime?
Normally commuting time is not counted as working hours. The Executive Regulations count it only in specific cases, such as delays due to bad weather or an accident involving employer transport, or if your contract says so.
What can I do if my overtime is not paid?
Keep a record of your hours and raise it with HR in writing. If it is still not paid, you can file a complaint with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation through the MOHRE app, website or call centre.
Disclaimer
This UAE overtime calculator gives an estimate only and is not legal advice. The law does not fix one hourly-rate formula, and your contract may pay higher rates. Exempt roles and special sectors may follow different rules. For a binding answer, check with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation or a qualified lawyer.
Sources / references
Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (Articles 17, 19, 20, 28, 54, 67), as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024; Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 on the Executive Regulations (Article 15); UAE Government Portal – Working hours in the private sector; Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.