UAE Working Hours Law: 8 Hours a Day, Ramadan and Breaks (2026)

Short answer: the maximum normal working time in the UAE is 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week, 2 hours less a day in Ramadan, with a break after 5 consecutive hours.

Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates

One federal labour law covers private-sector employers and workers across the State (Article 3 of the Decree-Law). The limits below are the same in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates. The law does not cover government employees, the armed forces and police, or domestic workers.

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.

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 rest. The rest can be one break or several, totalling at least one hour (Article 18). Breaks do not count as working hours (Article 18 in the Arabic text; the English translation leaves this out). Shift workers and some field work follow their own sector rules.

Travel time

Travel between home and work is not working time. The Executive Regulations make three exceptions (Article 15, clause 1):

• travel during bad weather after National Meteorology Center warnings
• time stuck in employer-provided transport after an accident or sudden breakdown
• cases where the contract explicitly says travel counts

Extra hours and overtime

An employer may ask for extra 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 worker who is not full-time, such as a part-time worker, cannot be made to work more than the contract hours without their written consent (Article 17, clause 5, in the Arabic text; the English translation says “full-time”).

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 the employer approves remote work, from inside or outside the UAE, it 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; Articles 17(5) and 18 re-read in the Arabic text on 7 November 2026.