UAE Labour Law: Working Hours, Official Leaves, and Vacations

By Staff Writer

August 3, 2026 9:41 PM

uae working hours rules leaves and vacations

If you’ve been working in the UAE for some time, then most likely you’re familiar with some of their labour laws, such as getting a labour card and the legality of job offer letters. On the other hand, if you’re still in the planning stage, it helps to know these laws even before you apply and head to the emirates. Knowing the law means you understand your rights — and that’s something we always want to share with every expat.

What are the regular working hours in the UAE? When is a period of work considered “overtime”? How many days of leave are you entitled to? These are just some of the questions that workers may often ask.

In the UAE, the agency in charge of labour rights and relations in the private sector is the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), which was previously called the Ministry of Labour. All the details below are based on the UAE Labour Law shared through the MoHRE website.

Guide to Working Hours, Leaves, and Vacations in the UAE

Any job or position involves regular working hours, rest periods, official leaves, and vacations. Please be guided accordingly on what you should expect from your employment. Take note that this information may change without prior notice, so it’s always best to check the official MoHRE resource for updates.

When it comes to the private sector, here is what the UAE Labour Law has to say.

Regular Working Hours

The maximum number of regular working hours is 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week.
The number of hours may be increased to 9 hours per day for those employed in hotels, cafeterias, security, and other similar jobs — provided the business has sought approval from the MoHRE.
If the job demands working beyond normal working hours, an overtime may be considered.
Overtime pay should be equal to the rate for regular working hours, plus an increase of 25% of that amount. This may be raised to 50% if overtime work is performed between 10 pm and 4 am.
The number of hours may be reduced for those in strenuous or “harmful” jobs that involve heavy physical labour.
Regular working hours are reduced by 2 hours per day during the holy month of Ramadan.
Time spent commuting from your house to the workplace is not included in the working hours.

Rest Periods, Meals, & Prayer

Workers should not work for more than 5 consecutive hours without stopping for rest, meals, and prayer.
The total period for these breaks should be not less than 1 hour. These breaks are not counted as working hours.
For jobs that involve uninterrupted work (e.g. factories), the MoHRE shall regulate the periods of rest, meals, and prayer.

Overtime

If you’re required to work beyond regular working hours, the additional period is considered “overtime.” In terms of salary, this amounts to the regular hourly wage plus 25% of that rate.
If you render overtime between 10 pm and 4 am, your salary amounts to the regular hourly wage plus 50% of that rate.

Rest Day

Worker is entitled to one weekly rest day.
If you’re required to work on your rest day, you’re entitled to a substitute rest day, or your salary amounts to the regular hourly wage plus 50% of that rate.

Work Schedule

The employer should post the working hours, rest periods, and rest day for all worker categories.
This schedule should be displayed on the main entrance and in prominent locations within the workplace.

NOTE: These rules do not apply to supervisors, managers, and other persons in high-ranking positions. The same goes for sea workers and the crew of naval vessels.

Public Holidays

Employees are also entitled to paid leaves during the following holidays. Be advised that other holidays not mentioned below would depend on the announcement made by the authorities. So always try to subscribe to updates from Dubai news websites to get alerts when there’s a holiday coming up.

Hijri New Year (1 day)
Gregorian New Year (1 day)
Eid Al Fitr (2 days)
Waqfa Day and Eid Al Adha (3 days)
Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday (1 day)
Isra and Miraj or Ascension Day (1 day)
Martyr’s Day (1 day)
National Day (1 day)

Working hours are decreased by 2 hours per day during the holy month of Ramadan.

Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Special Leave

Aside from the public holidays, every employee is entitled to annual leave, sick leave, and special leave. Please read through each point so you understand the number of days you’re allotted as per UAE law. Employees are entitled to the following:

Annual leave of 2 days per month, provided they have completed a minimum service period of 6 months and a maximum of one year.
Annual leave of 30 days, provided they have completed 1 year of service.
Sick leave of not more than 90 days per year, subject to conditions specified in the law. For the first 15 days, you’ll receive full pay; for the next 30 days, half pay; and no pay for the remaining 45 days.
Special leave of not more than 30 days, specifically for the performance of Hajj. This type of leave is without pay and granted only once throughout your years of service.

We hope you find the above information useful. These are basic points you should learn as an expat working in the UAE, and we hope this article helps simplify the terms for you. For more helpful guides, feel free to read about limited contracts, unlimited contracts, and 10 important things to know before working in the UAE.

DISCLAIMER: The topics presented in this article are for information-sharing purposes only. They may be used as a personal guide, but they should not be used as a basis for actual labour concerns or legal proceedings. To learn more about the UAE Labour Law, please visit the MoHRE official website.

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UAE Labour Law: Working Hours, Official Leaves, and Vacations