Key takeaways
- The normal maximum is 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week (Decree-Law Art. 17).
- In Ramadan, normal working hours are 2 hours shorter (Regulation Art. 15(2)). The rule is written for all private-sector workers.
- No more than 5 hours in a row without a break, and breaks must add up to at least one hour (Art. 18).
- Overtime is capped at 2 hours a day, with total hours no more than 144 in any 3 weeks (Art. 19; Regulation Art. 15(3)).
- Overtime pays at least 25% extra on the basic hourly wage, and at least 50% extra between 10 pm and 4 am (shift workers excepted) (Art. 19).
- Working on your rest day or a public holiday earns another day off, or that day’s wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage (Arts. 19 and 28).
- Every worker gets at least one paid rest day a week (Art. 21).
This chapter covers time: how long you can be asked to work, breaks, overtime, rest days and public holidays. We go through each article in order: a short quote from the official text, then what it means in simple words.
This page explains what the law says. To claim what you are owed, see: How to file a MOHRE complaint · How WPS salary payments work.
Working hours
8 hours a day, 48 hours a week
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“The maximum normal working hours for Workers shall be eight (8) hours per day or forty-eight (48) hours per week.”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 17(1)
In plain English
- Normal working hours are at most 8 a day or 48 a week. The Cabinet can raise or lower them for certain sectors or groups.
- Time spent travelling between home and work is not working time, except for some groups (see Regulation Article 15 below).
- Ramadan hours are set by the Regulation.
- A full-time worker cannot be required to work more than the hours in the contract, for the main employer or any other, without written consent.
- If a worker works remotely with the employer’s approval, from inside or outside the UAE, the employer can set specific hours.
Example
Fatima’s contract says 9 am to 6 pm with a one-hour lunch, Monday to Friday: 8 hours a day, 40 a week. That is within Article 17.
Check the hours written in your contract. Anything beyond them is overtime, with the limits and pay rates below.
Ramadan hours, when commuting counts, and who is outside the hours cap
Cabinet Resolution 1/2022
“The normal working hours shall be reduced by two hours during the holy month of Ramadan.”Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 15(2)
In plain English
Ramadan: normal working hours drop by two hours during the holy month.
Travel time counts as working time in three cases:
- Time stuck in transport because of bad weather, following warnings from the National Center of Meteorology.
- Time in employer-provided transport held up by an accident or sudden breakdown.
- Where the contract expressly says travel time counts.
Overtime may go beyond 2 hours a day only to prevent a serious loss or accident, or to deal with its effects. Total hours must still not exceed 144 in any 3 weeks.
Not covered by the hours cap: chairmen and board members; supervisors who have the powers of an employer; ship crews and workers at sea with special conditions; shift-based activities, as long as hours average no more than 56 a week; and preparatory or supplementary work that has to happen outside normal hours.
Example
Ahmed normally works 8 hours. In Ramadan his normal day is 6 hours. If his company bus breaks down on the way to work and he waits an hour, that hour counts as working time.
If you are asked to work your full normal hours in Ramadan, the extra two hours are beyond your normal hours, which the law treats as overtime. A “manager” title alone does not exempt someone from the cap: it applies only to supervisors who actually have employer-level powers.
Breaks: no more than 5 hours in a row
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“The worker may not work for more than five (5) consecutive hours without a rest period or periods amounting in aggregate to not less than one hour.”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 18
In plain English
Nobody should work more than 5 hours straight. Breaks across the day must total at least one hour. Shift-based companies and some job types, such as field jobs, organise hours and breaks under the Regulation’s classifications.
Example
A shop assistant starts at 10 am. She needs a break by 3 pm at the latest, and her breaks that day must add up to at least an hour.
A schedule with no break for 6 or 7 hours breaks Article 18. Separate rules on outdoor work during the hottest summer hours are set each year by MOHRE resolution.
Overtime
Overtime limits and overtime pay
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“plus an increase of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of such wage.”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 19(2)
In plain English
| Situation | Minimum pay |
|---|---|
| Overtime (beyond normal hours) | Normal hourly pay on the basic wage + at least 25% |
| Overtime between 10 pm and 4 am | Normal hourly pay on the basic wage + at least 50% (not for shift workers) |
| Working on your rest day | Another rest day, or that day’s wage + at least 50% of the basic wage |
- Overtime is limited to 2 hours a day (with the emergency exception in the Regulation), and total hours to 144 every 3 weeks.
- A worker cannot be made to work more than two rest days in a row, except day labourers.
Example
Ali’s basic wage is AED 6,000 a month. A common way to find the hourly rate is to divide by 30 days and then by 8 hours: AED 25 an hour. Each daytime overtime hour pays at least AED 31.25 (25 + 25%). An overtime hour at 11 pm pays at least AED 37.50 (25 + 50%).
Overtime is calculated on the basic wage, not your total package. Keep a record of the hours you work beyond your contract. It is your evidence if you need to claim through MOHRE.
Jobs excluded from the hours rules
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“The Executive Regulation of this Decree by law shall determine the categories of labourers that may be exempted from the provisions regarding working hours”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 20
In plain English
The law leaves the list of excluded jobs to the Regulation. Article 15(4) of the Regulation, explained above, names them: board members, supervisors with employer-level powers, crews at sea, shift work averaging no more than 56 hours a week, and preparatory or supplementary work done outside normal hours.
Example
A hospital runs 24-hour rotations. Individual shifts can be longer than 8 hours, as long as each worker’s hours average no more than 56 a week.
If you are told the hours cap “doesn’t apply to your job”, ask which category in Regulation Article 15(4) your role falls under.
Rest days and public holidays
At least one paid rest day a week
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“The worker shall be granted a paid weekly rest not less than one day”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 21
In plain English
Every worker gets at least one paid rest day a week, as set in the contract or the company’s regulations. The Cabinet can increase it.
Example
A restaurant worker on a six-day week has Monday as his rest day. He is paid for it like any other day.
Your rest day should be written in your contract. If you are asked to work it, Article 19(4) says you get another day off or extra pay.
Public holidays, and working on them
Federal Decree-Law 33/2021
“the Employer shall compensate him with another rest day for each day in which he works during the holiday, or with payment of the wage for that day … plus an increase not less than fifty percent (50%) of the basic wage for that day.”Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 28(2)
In plain English
- Workers get the official public holidays, set by Cabinet resolution, with full pay.
- If the job requires working on a public holiday, the employer must give another day off for each holiday worked, or pay that day’s wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage.
Example
Maria works in a hotel on National Day. Her employer can give her a day off later in the month, or pay her for the day plus at least half a day’s basic wage extra.
The public holiday dates are announced each year by Cabinet resolution. Private-sector holidays usually follow the same calendar as the public sector, but check each year’s announcement.
Quick reference: the numbers in this chapter
| Rule | Figure | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Normal working hours | Max 8 a day / 48 a week | Decree-Law Art. 17(1) |
| Ramadan | Normal hours reduced by 2 a day | Regulation Art. 15(2) |
| Hours without a break | Max 5, with at least 1 hour of breaks a day | Decree-Law Art. 18 |
| Overtime | Max 2 hours a day; total max 144 hours per 3 weeks | Decree-Law Art. 19(1); Regulation Art. 15(3) |
| Overtime pay | Basic hourly + at least 25% | Decree-Law Art. 19(2) |
| Overtime 10 pm to 4 am | Basic hourly + at least 50% | Decree-Law Art. 19(3) |
| Work on rest day or public holiday | Another day off, or the day’s wage + at least 50% of basic | Decree-Law Arts. 19(4), 28(2) |
| Shift workers’ average | Max 56 hours a week | Regulation Art. 15(4)(d) |
| Weekly rest | At least 1 paid day | Decree-Law Art. 21 |
Working hours, overtime and holidays: frequently asked questions
What are the maximum working hours in the UAE private sector?
Eight hours a day or 48 hours a week, under Article 17 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Overtime is limited to two hours a day, and total hours may not exceed 144 in any three weeks.
What are working hours in Ramadan for the UAE private sector?
Normal working hours are reduced by two hours during Ramadan, under Article 15(2) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022.
How is overtime paid in the UAE?
At the normal hourly wage calculated on the basic wage, plus at least 25%. Overtime between 10 pm and 4 am earns at least 50% extra, except for shift workers (Article 19).
What do I get for working on a public holiday in the UAE?
Another day off for each holiday worked, or that day’s wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage for the day (Article 28).
How many breaks am I entitled to at work in the UAE?
You may not work more than five hours in a row without a break, and your breaks must total at least one hour a day (Article 18).
Does travel time to work count as working hours in the UAE?
Normally no. It counts when you are delayed by bad weather following National Center of Meteorology warnings, when employer transport has an accident or breakdown, or when your contract says so (Regulation Article 15(1)).
Please note. Quotes are from the official English translation on the UAE Legislation portal, checked on 1 October 2026; the Arabic text in the Official Gazette prevails. Examples use invented names and are illustrative; the hourly-rate calculation is a common method, not a formula set by the law. This page is general information, not legal advice; MOHRE’s or a court’s decision on your own case is final.
