Key takeaways
- Normal working hours are capped at 8 a day or 48 a week (Article 17).
- Workers may not work more than 5 hours in a row without breaks totalling at least 1 hour.
- Overtime is capped at 2 hours a day and pays the basic hourly wage plus at least 25%, or 50% between 10 pm and 4 am.
- Work on your rest day earns another day off, or the day's pay plus at least 50% of the basic wage.
- Normal hours fall by 2 a day in Ramadan, and outdoor work in the sun stops from 12:30 pm to 3 pm, 15 June to 15 September.
Normal working hours and breaks
The rules come from Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations and its Executive Regulation, Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022.
| Rule | What the law says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Normal hours | Up to 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week | Decree-Law, Article 17(1) |
| Sector changes | The Cabinet may raise or lower daily hours for certain sectors or categories of workers | Decree-Law, Article 17(2) |
| Breaks | No more than 5 hours in a row without a rest period or periods totalling at least 1 hour | Decree-Law, Article 18 |
| Commuting | Not working time, except in bad weather with a National Center of Meteorology warning, an accident or breakdown of employer transport, or if the contract says so | Decree-Law, Article 17(3); Executive Regulation, Article 15(1) |
| Remote work | If the employer approves remote work, it sets specific working hours for it | Decree-Law, Article 17(6) |
The UAE government portal adds that breaks don't count as working hours. Shift-based establishments and some field jobs can organise hours and breaks differently under the Executive Regulation.
Who this covers: Article 3 applies the law to private-sector employers and workers across the UAE. Government staff, the armed forces, police and security, and domestic workers are excluded. The UAE government portal says free zone employees are generally governed by their free zone authority's employment regulations together with Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, and those regulations are typically aligned with federal law. DIFC and ADGM have their own independent employment frameworks. For the wider rules, see our guide to UAE labour law.
Overtime limits and pay rates
Your employer may ask for overtime, but Article 19 caps it at 2 hours a day. The Executive Regulation allows more only when the work is needed to prevent a gross loss or a serious accident, or to limit its effects. In all cases, total working hours must not exceed 144 hours every three weeks.
| Type of extra work | Minimum pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime | Basic hourly wage plus 25% | Up to 2 hours a day |
| Overtime between 10 pm and 4 am | Basic hourly wage plus 50% | Doesn't apply to shift workers |
| Work on your rest day | Another rest day, or the day's pay plus at least 50% of the basic wage | You can't be required to work more than two rest days in a row (day labourers excepted) |
Overtime is worked out on the basic wage, not on allowances. Your contract can pay more than these minimums, never less.
Overtime pay: a worked example
The law doesn't set a formula for turning a monthly salary into an hourly rate, so this example starts from an hourly figure. Say you work 8 hours a day, five days a week, your basic wage works out to AED 30 an hour, and you have no allowances.
- 1. Weekday overtime. 2 extra hours until 8 pm: 2 x AED 30 x 1.25 = AED 75.
- 2. Late-night overtime. 2 hours between 10 pm and midnight on another day: 2 x AED 30 x 1.5 = AED 90.
- 3. Rest-day work. 8 hours on your rest day with no substitute day off: AED 240 for the day plus 50% (AED 120) = AED 360.
- 4. Week total. AED 75 + AED 90 + AED 360 = AED 525 on top of your normal pay.
That week comes to 52 hours. With two normal 40-hour weeks around it, the three-week total is 132 hours, inside the 144-hour limit.
Rest days and who is exempt
Article 21 gives every worker a paid weekly rest of at least one day, set by the contract or the workplace regulations. The law doesn't name the day, and a Cabinet resolution may add more rest days.
Article 20 lets the Executive Regulation exclude some roles from the working-hours rules. Article 15(4) exempts these categories from the maximum limit on working hours:
- Chairs and members of boards of directors.
- Supervisors who hold the employer's powers.
- Ship crews and workers at sea with special service conditions.
- Work in successive shifts, as long as the average stays within 56 hours a week.
- Preparatory or supplementary work done outside the establishment's general working hours.
Rest days sit alongside your paid leave; see annual leave under UAE labour law for that entitlement.
Ramadan working hours
Article 15(2) of the Executive Regulation cuts normal working hours by 2 a day during Ramadan, so a normal 8-hour day becomes 6 hours. MOHRE announces the private-sector Ramadan hours each year. On 12 February 2026 it confirmed the 2-hour daily cut and said companies may offer flexible or remote work within the daily hours, depending on the nature of the work.
The summer midday break
Ministerial Resolution No. 44 of 2022 bans work in direct sun and open places from 12:30 pm to 3 pm, from 15 June to 15 September every year. MOHRE announces it each year, and its 2026 announcement, under the name Occupational Heat Stress Prevention Policy, kept the same dates and hours.
- Exempt work: asphalt laying or concrete pouring that can't be postponed, urgent repairs to public hazards such as water or power cuts, and work that needs a government permit.
- Employer duties: shaded rest areas, cooling equipment such as fans, enough drinking water, and first aid at the site.
- Fines: the latest published fines, from MOHRE's 2025 announcement, are AED 5,000 per worker, up to AED 50,000 where several workers are involved.
- Reporting: call MOHRE on 600590000, or use its website or app.
We prepare the HR and PRO paperwork behind these rules, from employment contracts and MOHRE applications to payroll and WPS; see our HR services. In a dispute, MOHRE handles complaints and decides claims up to AED 50,000, which either side can challenge in court; larger disputes it can't settle go to the courts. We're not a law firm, but our labour complaint filing support helps you prepare and submit the paperwork.
Sources
- UAE Legislation: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 Regulating Labour Relations
- UAE Legislation: Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 (Executive Regulation)
- UAE government portal: working hours and overtime
- UAE government portal: recruiting in free zones
- MOHRE: two-hour daily reduction in Ramadan 2026
- MOHRE: midday break 2025 announcement
- MOHRE: about the midday break
Official sources checked on 10 November 2026. This guide explains published rules in plain English and is not legal or tax advice. Rules change; we check the current position for your case before you act.