UAE Working Hours: 8 Hours a Day, Ramadan Hours and Break Rules

The basic limit

Article 17 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 sets the maximum normal working hours at 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week. The Cabinet may raise or lower this for some sectors or types of work, so some workers have different hours.

Ramadan

During Ramadan, normal working hours are cut by 2 hours (Executive Regulations, Article 15, clause 2). A worker on 8 hours a day works 6.

Breaks

A worker may not work more than 5 consecutive hours without a rest period, or rest periods adding up to at least one hour (Article 18). Shift workers and some types of field work follow the rules set for their sector.

Travel time

Time spent travelling between home and work does not count as working hours. The exceptions in the Executive Regulations are time spent in transport during bad weather after National Meteorology Center warnings, time stuck in employer-provided transport after an accident or sudden breakdown, and cases where the contract explicitly says travel counts (Article 15, clause 1).

Extra hours and overtime

An employer may ask for extra hours beyond normal hours, but no more than 2 hours a day, unless the work is needed to prevent serious loss or an accident. Total working hours may not exceed 144 hours every 3 weeks (Article 19 and Executive Regulations Article 15). Overtime on a normal day is paid at the basic hourly wage plus at least 25%. See the overtime guide and the overtime calculator.

A full-time worker also cannot be made to work more than the hours agreed in the contract without their written consent (Article 17, clause 5).

Who is exempt from the limit

The Executive Regulations (Article 15, clause 4) exempt:

• chairmen and board members
• supervisors who have an employer’s powers
• crews of ships and workers at sea with special service conditions
• work that by nature runs in shifts or rounds, as long as the average does not exceed 56 hours a week
• preparatory or supporting work that has to happen outside the normal hours of the establishment

Working from home

If a worker does their job remotely, from inside or outside the UAE, and the employer approves it, the employer may set specific working hours (Article 17, clause 6).

Sources: Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Articles 17, 18 and 19, and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 15. Checked 1 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.