Overtime and Break Laws in United Arab Emirates (2026)
Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relationships · Reviewed 2026-10 · Private-sector employees
Overtime
Normal hours are 8 a day or 48 a week. Overtime pays basic wage plus at least 25%.
Breaks and lunch
No more than 5 consecutive hours without a break or breaks totaling at least 1 hour, not counted as working time.
Overtime in United Arab Emirates
- 1.25x pay for hours past 8 in a day.
- 1.25x pay for hours past 48 in a week.
- Overtime worked between 10 pm and 4 am pays basic wage plus at least 50%. Shift workers are excluded from this night rate (Art. 19(3)).
- Work on the contractual weekend: another day off, or the day's wage plus at least 50% of basic wage (Art. 19(4)). No more than two consecutive weekends worked, except day workers.
- Overtime is capped at 2 hours a day, and total hours may not exceed 144 in any 3 weeks (Art. 19(1)).
- Overtime premiums are calculated on the basic wage, not total pay.
- Ramadan: normal working hours are reduced by 2 hours a day (u.ae; Art. 17(4) leaves the detail to the Implementing Regulation).
- Categories excluded from the hours rules are set by the Implementing Regulation (Art. 20).
Averaging over a pay period: Not allowed as a general rule; the 144 hours per 3 weeks ceiling is a cap, not an averaging scheme.
What two weeks of work come to
Worked out by the rule above (1.25x after 48h in a week, 1.25x after 8h in a day). Hours.
| Two weeks of | Regular | Overtime (1.25x) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days of 8 hours, two weeks (80h) | 80 | 0 |
| 5 days of 10 hours, two weeks (100h) | 80 | 20 |
| 6 days of 9 hours, two weeks (108h) | 96 | 12 |
| 50 hours, then 30 hours (80h) | 70 | 10 |
Breaks and lunch in United Arab Emirates
- Meal break: 1 × 60 minutes, unpaid, for shifts of 5 hours or more.
| Shift | Rest breaks | Meal break |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | None | None |
| 6 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
| 8 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
| 10 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
| 12 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
- The hour may be split into several breaks.
- Shift establishments and field jobs may arrange hours and breaks differently under the Implementing Regulation (Art. 18).
- Midday outdoor work ban 12:30 pm to 3 pm from 15 June to 15 September (Ministerial Resolution 44 of 2022).
- Paid weekly rest of at least one day (Art. 21).
Pay by United Arab Emirates rules in Kloqk
Kloqk is a free time clock. In Settings, open Payroll, press Rules by country and pick United Arab Emirates: the overtime and break rules above fill in, and every timesheet, report and payroll export follows them. Change any number to match your own contract.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the overtime rule in United Arab Emirates?
Normal hours are 8 a day or 48 a week. Overtime pays basic wage plus at least 25%.
Can overtime be averaged over two weeks or a pay period in United Arab Emirates?
Not allowed as a general rule; the 144 hours per 3 weeks ceiling is a cap, not an averaging scheme.
What breaks are required in United Arab Emirates?
No more than 5 consecutive hours without a break or breaks totaling at least 1 hour, not counted as working time.