UAE Overtime Pay 2026: How to Calculate It (With Examples)

If you stay late at work in the UAE, those extra hours are not a favour to your employer — they are overtime, and the law says they must be paid for. Yet ask ten workers how overtime is calculated and you will get ten different answers. Some believe it is paid at double the rate. Others think it only applies after 10 pm. And a surprising number of people have no idea their contract's basic salary — not their total pay — is what decides the number.

This guide walks you through the overtime rules in the UAE exactly as Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the UAE Labour Law) sets them out: the two legal rates, the step-by-step formula, worked examples in dirhams, the maximum-hours cap, the Ramadan twist, and what to do if your employer does not pay. Everything here is based on the law itself and the official guidance that interprets it — not on office rumour.

Overtime pay in the UAE: the quick answer

• Daytime overtime: your normal hourly basic wage plus 25% — that is, 125% of your hourly rate.
• Night overtime (10 pm – 4 am): your hourly basic wage plus 50% — that is, 150%. This premium does not apply to employees already hired on a night-shift contract.
• Work on your weekly rest day: either a substitute rest day, or your day's wage plus 50%.
• Work on a public holiday: either a substitute day off, or your day's wage plus 50%.
• Maximum overtime: 2 extra hours per day, and no more than 144 total working hours in any 3-week period.
• The formula: monthly basic salary ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = your hourly basic wage. Multiply by 1.25 or 1.5 for the overtime rate.

If that summary already answers your question, great. Read on for the full detail, the worked examples, and the exceptions that catch people out.

What counts as overtime under UAE labour law

Overtime is any work your employer asks you to do beyond your normal working hours. The normal ceiling is set by Article 17 of the UAE Labour Law: a maximum of 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week. Many contracts set fewer hours — a 40-hour week, for example — and that is perfectly legal, because the law sets a maximum, not a template. Your overtime clock starts ticking the moment you pass your contracted normal hours.

A few things people often get wrong at this stage:

• Lunch and rest breaks are not working time. The law requires that you do not work more than 5 consecutive hours without a break, and that after 5 hours you get a break (or breaks) totalling at least 1 hour. Break time is normally unpaid and sits outside your working hours — so a 9-hour day with a 1-hour lunch break is still an 8-hour working day.
• Commuting does not count. Time spent travelling between your home and the workplace is generally not working time.
• All overtime must be paid on your basic salary. Allowances — housing, transport, phone — do not go into the overtime formula. Check your labour contract to confirm which figure is your basic salary; if you have never seen your contract, our guide on how to check your UAE labour contract online shows you how to pull it up in minutes.

Overtime rates: the two numbers that matter

Article 19 of the UAE Labour Law fixes overtime pay as a supplement on top of your basic hourly wage. There are only two rates — and knowing which one applies to your hours is the whole game.

When the overtime is worked	Legal rate	What it means
Extra hours on a normal working day	125% of hourly basic wage	Your normal hourly rate plus a 25% supplement
Extra hours between 10 pm and 4 am	150% of hourly basic wage	Your normal hourly rate plus a 50% supplement. Not applicable to shift workers already contracted for night shifts
Work on your weekly rest day	150% of the day's wage, or a substitute rest day	Your employer must give you one or the other
Work on an official public holiday	150% of the day's wage, or a substitute day off	Set by Article 28 of the Labour Law

Notice what is not on that list: there is no "double pay" rule for ordinary overtime in UAE law. If someone tells you overtime is paid at 200%, they are thinking of a different country's rules. The night-work supplement and the rest-day/holiday supplement are the only 50% premiums the law provides.

How to calculate your overtime pay: the step-by-step formula

The calculation the UAE courts and MOHRE apply follows one simple method:

Step 1 — Find your hourly basic wage. Take your monthly basic salary (not your total salary), divide it by 30 (days), then divide by 8 (hours):

Hourly basic wage = Monthly basic salary ÷ 30 ÷ 8

Step 2 — Apply the overtime rate. Multiply the hourly basic wage by 1.25 for daytime overtime, or by 1.5 for night overtime (10 pm–4 am):

• Daytime overtime rate = hourly basic wage × 1.25
• Night overtime rate = hourly basic wage × 1.50

Step 3 — Multiply by the overtime hours. Take the rate from Step 2 and multiply by the number of overtime hours worked that month.

That is the entire method. It is worth memorising, because it is also how you check your payslip: if your employer pays overtime as a lump sum, divide it by your overtime hours and compare with the rate you get from Step 2.

Worked examples in dirhams

Example 1: daytime overtime — basic salary AED 4,000

Ahmed's basic salary is AED 4,000 per month. One month he works 12 extra daytime hours.

• Hourly basic wage: 4,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 16.67
• Daytime overtime rate: 16.67 × 1.25 = AED 20.83/hour
• Overtime pay: 20.83 × 12 = AED 250

Ahmed should receive AED 250 on top of his normal salary for that month.

Example 2: night overtime — basic salary AED 6,000

Maria's basic salary is AED 6,000. She works 8 extra hours between 10 pm and 4 am during a stock-take.

• Hourly basic wage: 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 25.00
• Night overtime rate: 25.00 × 1.50 = AED 37.50/hour
• Overtime pay: 37.50 × 8 = AED 300

Example 3: working on the weekly rest day — basic salary AED 5,000

Salim's basic salary is AED 5,000. His employer asks him to work a full day on his rest day.

• Daily basic wage: 5,000 ÷ 30 = AED 166.67
• Option A: a substitute rest day later, or
• Option B: pay of 166.67 × 1.5 = AED 250 for that day

Example 4: working on a public holiday — basic salary AED 4,500

Priya's basic salary is AED 4,500. She is required to work on Eid.

• Daily basic wage: 4,500 ÷ 30 = AED 150
• Option A: a substitute day off, or
• Option B: pay of 150 × 1.5 = AED 225 for that day

Overtime pay by salary: quick reference table

Use this table to sanity-check your own numbers. Find your monthly basic salary, read across to your hourly rate, then to the overtime rate that matches your hours.

Monthly basic salary	Hourly basic wage	Daytime OT (125%)	Night OT (150%)
AED 2,000	8.33	10.42	12.50
AED 3,000	12.50	15.63	18.75
AED 4,000	16.67	20.83	25.00
AED 5,000	20.83	26.04	31.25
AED 6,000	25.00	31.25	37.50
AED 8,000	33.33	41.67	50.00
AED 10,000	41.67	52.08	62.50
AED 15,000	62.50	78.13	93.75

One more useful number: at a basic salary of AED 4,000, a single daytime overtime hour is worth AED 20.83 — roughly half a day's basic wage for 8 extra hours. Knowing this figure before a busy season starts is how workers negotiate sensibly instead of discovering the maths afterwards.

Maximum overtime: how much extra work can your employer ask for?

The law does not give employers an open cheque for your evenings. Article 19 caps overtime at 2 extra hours per day, and sets an overall ceiling: your total working hours — normal plus overtime — must not exceed 144 hours in any 3-week period.

There is one narrow exception. The Executive Regulations allow overtime beyond these limits in specific situations, such as work needed to prevent a substantial loss, deal with a serious accident, or mitigate the effects of one. A routine busy quarter, a product launch, or short staffing does not qualify — the exception is about emergencies, not deadlines.

Practically, this means:

• If you have already worked your 8 normal hours, your employer can ask for at most 2 more that day.
• If you are asked to exceed that, you are entitled to say no — the request itself goes beyond what the law permits.
• Watch the 3-week cap too: even 2 hours a day, every day, eventually hits the 144-hour ceiling. Over 3 weeks, 144 hours averages out to exactly 48 hours a week — the standard week. In other words, the law tolerates modest, regular overtime, not permanent double shifts.

Overtime during Ramadan: the rule most people miss

During the holy month of Ramadan, normal working hours for private-sector employees are reduced by 2 hours per day — so an 8-hour day becomes a 6-hour day. This comes from Article 17(4) of the Labour Law and Article 15(2) of Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, and it applies regardless of whether the employee is fasting. Your pay is not reduced.

Here is the part that matters for overtime: the reduced hours become your new normal. Any work beyond the reduced Ramadan schedule is overtime and must be paid at the Article 19 rates.

Example: Layla's basic salary is AED 5,000 (hourly basic AED 20.83). During Ramadan her normal day is 6 hours, but her employer asks her to stay 8 hours — the full normal length. Those 2 extra hours are overtime: 2 × (20.83 × 1.25) = AED 52.08 for the day.

If your employer refuses to reduce your hours during Ramadan and does not pay overtime for the extra time, that is a compliance issue you can raise with MOHRE — the same route described in our step-by-step MOHRE complaint guide.

Who is not entitled to overtime pay

Overtime rights cover most private-sector employees, but the law carves out a few categories:

• Managers and supervisors in positions that involve exercising the employer's powers and authority are generally exempt from overtime pay (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 15(4)(b)). Note the key word: it is the nature of the position that matters, not the job title. A "supervisor" who does the same line work as everyone else, with no real managerial authority, is a supervisor in name only — and a MOHRE inspector will look at the reality of the role.
• Shift workers do not get the 50% night premium for hours they are already contracted to work at night. The night supplement is for overtime worked between 10 pm and 4 am, on top of normal hours.
• Domestic workers are governed by a separate law (Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers), not by the overtime provisions of the Labour Law.
• Government employees, armed forces, and police sit outside the Labour Law's scope entirely — their own regulations set their hours and allowances.

If you are self-employed or on a freelance permit with no employer, overtime law simply does not apply — there is no employer to bill the hours to. Your rates are whatever your client contract says.

Your employer's record-keeping duty — and your payslip

Overtime disputes are won and lost on records. Employers are expected to keep proper payroll records showing hours worked and how overtime was calculated, and your payslip should let you verify the number. Every month, run this three-line check:

1. Count your overtime hours — keep your own log (a notes app is fine) of the dates and extra hours you worked.
2. Work out your overtime rate — basic salary ÷ 30 ÷ 8 × 1.25 (or × 1.5 for night hours).
3. Compare — multiply your hours by your rate. If the payslip figure is lower, ask HR for the breakdown in writing before anything else.

Wages in the UAE must be paid monthly through the Wage Protection System (WPS), and overtime should appear as part of your paid wages — not as cash in an envelope, and not "carried forward" indefinitely. If overtime is missing from your WPS record, that is itself a red flag worth documenting.

What to do if your overtime is not paid

Follow this order — most cases settle at step 1 or 2:

1. Ask in writing. Email your HR or manager with your overtime log and your calculation, referencing Article 19 of the Labour Law. Written requests create a paper trail; verbal ones evaporate.

2. Escalate internally. If HR stalls, raise it formally under your company's grievance procedure (companies with more than 50 employees are required to have internal work regulations).

3. Contact MOHRE. If the employer still does not pay, file a labour complaint. You can reach MOHRE on 80060, WhatsApp 600590000, the MOHRE app, or the MOHRE website. Our full walkthrough — how to file a MOHRE labour complaint step by step — covers the documents you need and the mistakes that slow cases down. Once filed, you can track your complaint status online with your transaction number.

Act sooner rather than later: labour claims in the UAE are subject to a 2-year limitation period, so old unpaid overtime from three years ago is no longer recoverable.

Frequently asked questions

Can my employer force me to work overtime in the UAE?

The law allows employers to require overtime, but only within the legal caps: a maximum of 2 extra hours per day and 144 total hours in any 3-week period. Beyond that, overtime is only lawful in the narrow exceptional circumstances the Executive Regulations define, such as preventing a substantial loss or dealing with a serious accident. Routine understaffing is not an exception.

Is overtime calculated on basic salary or total salary?

On basic salary only. Article 19 is explicit: the supplement is calculated on the basic wage for normal hours. Allowances — housing, transport, phone, food — are excluded from the formula. This is also why overtime and end-of-service gratuity both hinge on your basic salary: it is the most financially important number in your contract.

Do I get overtime during my probation period?

Yes. Probation changes your notice and termination rules, not your working-hours rights. Overtime worked during probation is paid at the same 125%/150% rates.

Can my employer give me time off instead of overtime pay?

Not as a substitute for the legal entitlement. Article 19 entitles you to overtime pay — the substitute-day option exists specifically for work on your weekly rest day (Article 19) and on public holidays (Article 28). If your employer offers time off in addition to proper pay, that is a bonus, not a replacement.

Is overtime pay taxed in the UAE?

There is no personal income tax in the UAE, so your overtime pay is not taxed. It is simply added to your gross monthly wage and should be paid through WPS like the rest of your salary.

What if my contract says I am "not entitled to overtime"?

A contract clause cannot take away a right the law gives you — unless you fall into one of the genuinely exempt categories (such as a real managerial position). A blanket "no overtime" clause for ordinary employees does not override Article 19. If your employer relies on one, that is worth a MOHRE consultation.

Does overtime apply to part-time workers?

Yes, proportionally. A part-time employee's "normal hours" are whatever their contract sets; hours worked beyond that are overtime and attract the same supplements, calculated on the part-timer's basic wage.

The bottom line

Overtime in the UAE is not complicated once you strip away the myths: 8 hours a day is the ceiling, extra daytime hours pay 125%, night overtime (10 pm–4 am) pays 150%, and everything is calculated on your basic salary with one formula — basic ÷ 30 ÷ 8. The caps (2 hours a day, 144 hours in 3 weeks) exist so that "occasional" overtime does not quietly become a second shift you are not paid for.

Keep your own hours log, check your payslip every month, and if the numbers do not add up, put your claim in writing. The law is firmly on your side — you just have to know the two rates and the one formula.

For the bigger picture — leave, gratuity, probation, termination and the rest of your rights — see our complete UAE Labour Law 2026 guide.

Official references

• Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Employment Relations — Articles 17 (working hours), 19 (overtime), 28 (public holidays).
• Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 on the Implementation of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 — Article 15 (working hours and Ramadan reduction; managerial exemption).
• UAE Government portal (u.ae) and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (mohre.gov.ae) — working-hours and overtime guidance.