How Overtime Is Calculated in the UAE
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, overtime is paid on your basic salary, not your full package. The law assumes a 30-day month and, for most private-sector jobs, an 8-hour working day. That gives a simple chain: daily wage is basic salary divided by 30, and hourly wage is the daily wage divided by your normal daily hours.
- Regular overtime: hourly basic wage plus 25% (so 125%).
- Night overtime between 10 PM and 4 AM: hourly basic wage plus 50% (so 150%).
- Rest day work: a substitute day off, or your wage plus 50% for those hours.
- Public holidays: another day off, or holiday pay plus 50%.
Worked Example
An employee with an AED 6,000 basic salary and 8-hour days has a daily wage of AED 200 and an hourly wage of AED 25. Ten regular overtime hours pay 10 × 25 × 1.25 = AED 312.50. If four of those hours fell between 10 PM and 4 AM, those four pay 4 × 25 × 1.50 = AED 150 instead.
Limits and Exclusions
- Overtime is normally capped at 2 hours per day.
- Shift workers and senior managerial or supervisory roles are excluded from the overtime provisions.
- Some categories (certain projects, seasonal work) can exceed the limits with MOHRE approval.
- Disputes can be raised with MOHRE on 600 590000 or through its app.
Planning Your Finances in Dubai
If you are checking overtime because you are budgeting, our gratuity calculator estimates your end-of-service entitlement, and the cost of living calculator helps you see where a salary actually lands after rent and transport.