UAE Overtime Calculator 2026: Calculate OT Pay as Per MOHRE Labour Law

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Based on Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 | Source: MOHRE and UAE Government

Working overtime in the UAE and want to know how much you should be paid?

Our UAE Overtime Calculator helps you estimate your overtime pay based on your basic salary, overtime hours, and the type of overtime you worked. It covers normal working hours, night overtime, weekly rest days, public holidays, and Ramadan overtime under UAE Labour Law.

Wondering how to calculate overtime in UAE? Enter your details in the calculator above to get your estimated OT pay, then use the guide below to understand the formula, rates, and rules behind the calculation.

UAE Overtime Formula

Basic Salary ÷ 30 ÷ 8 × Overtime Hours × Rate

This is the core method for how to calculate overtime pay in UAE, regardless of whether the hours fall on a normal day, night shift, rest day, or public holiday.

For an employee on AED 6,000 basic salary, that’s AED 25.00 basic hourly rate. Here’s how the rate changes by overtime type:

Overtime type	Rate	AED 6,000 salary
Normal daytime overtime	1.25x	AED 31.25/hr
Night overtime (10 PM – 4 AM)	1.50x	AED 37.50/hr
Weekly rest day	1.50x	AED 37.50/hr
Public holiday (no substitute day)	1.50x	AED 37.50/hr

This uses basic salary only, housing, transport, and food allowances are excluded. The formula divides by 30 because the standard payroll method counts a month as 30 days, and by 8 because Article 17 sets 8 hours as the normal working day. If your contract uses a different method, follow your contract.

How Much Is 1 Hour of Overtime in UAE?

If your basic salary is AED 6,000:

AED 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 25.00 basic hourly rate

• Normal daytime overtime (125%): AED 31.25/hour
• Night or weekly rest day overtime (150%): AED 37.50/hour

How to Use the UAE Overtime Calculator

Enter your basic monthly salary, select the type of overtime worked, add the number of overtime hours, and click calculate. The tool applies the correct UAE overtime rate based on normal working hours, night overtime, rest days, public holidays, and Ramadan rules. It uses basic salary only, since housing, transport, and food allowances are excluded from overtime calculations under UAE Labour Law.

What Is Overtime Under UAE Labour Law?

Overtime is any work done beyond the standard working hours set by Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Under Article 17, normal working hours are 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week for private-sector employees, as confirmed on the official UAE Government portal. Any work beyond this is overtime and must be paid at a higher rate.

This law came into effect on 2 February 2022 and covers most MOHRE-regulated private-sector employees across all seven emirates. Overtime calculation in UAE as per labour law follows a consistent formula regardless of sector, though certain categories are excluded (covered below).

What Counts as Regular Working Hours

• Employees generally must not work more than five consecutive hours without a break of at least one hour. Breaks are not counted as working hours.
• Certain sectors and work arrangements have specific working-hour rules under the Executive Regulations. If your normal daily hours differ from 8, check your employment contract before using the standard formula.
• During Ramadan, normal working hours are reduced by two hours per day. For an employee whose normal schedule is 8 hours, that means a 6-hour working day.

UAE Overtime Calculation Examples

Normal Day Overtime

Basic salary: AED 6,000 | 3 hours of normal overtime

• Daily wage: 6,000 ÷ 30 = AED 200.00
• Hourly rate: 200 ÷ 8 = AED 25.00
• OT pay: 25.00 × 1.25 × 3 = AED 93.75

Night Shift Overtime (10 PM – 4 AM)

Same salary, 2 hours of night overtime:

25.00 × 1.50 × 2 = AED 75.00

Night overtime between 10 PM and 4 AM normally carries a 50% premium. Workers employed under a shift system are excluded from this specific night-overtime provision under Article 19(3).

Weekly Rest Day Overtime

Basic salary: AED 8,000 | 6 hours worked on the weekly rest day

• Daily wage: 8,000 ÷ 30 = AED 266.67
• Hourly rate: 266.67 ÷ 8 = AED 33.33
• OT pay: 33.33 × 1.50 × 6 = AED 300.00

Overtime on Basic Salary or Gross Salary?

Is overtime calculated on basic salary in UAE, or gross? Statutory overtime premiums under Article 19 are calculated using the worker’s basic wage, rather than allowances. This is one of the most common points of confusion in overtime pay calculation in UAE.

Salary Component	Monthly Amount (AED)
Basic Salary	5,000
Housing Allowance	2,000
Transport Allowance	500
Gross Salary Total	7,500

• Correct hourly rate (basic): 5,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 20.83
• Wrong calculation (gross): 7,500 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 31.25

That AED 10.42 per hour difference is a real compliance risk for companies running regular overtime. The same basic-salary-only rule applies when calculating end-of-service gratuity.

How Overtime Works on Your Weekly Rest Day

Every employee covered by the weekly-rest provisions has a designated weekly rest day, specified in the employment contract or internal work regulations. It may be Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or another day depending on the company’s schedule.

Under Article 19(4), if you work on your weekly rest day, your employer must give you either:

• A substitute rest day on another day, or
• Your normal wage for that day plus an additional 50% (150% total)

Public Holiday Overtime Calculation in the UAE

Holiday overtime calculation in UAE follows a different rule from ordinary overtime, it’s covered under Article 28, not Article 19. UAE public holidays include National Day, New Year, Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, Islamic New Year, and others. Under Article 28 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, public holiday work must be compensated with either a substitute rest day or the normal day’s wage plus an additional amount of at least 50% of the basic wage. You can check which days qualify in our full 2027 holiday calendar.

Example: Basic salary AED 6,000, 5 hours worked on a public holiday, no substitute day given:

• Hourly rate: 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 25.00
• Holiday pay: 25.00 × 1.50 × 5 = AED 187.50

What Is the Maximum Overtime Per Day in UAE?

Under Article 19(1), employers can generally only ask for a maximum of 2 extra hours per day. Article 19 also provides that total working hours must not exceed 144 hours over any three-week period.

Serious emergencies, overtime may exceed the normal two-hour daily limit when work is necessary to prevent a serious loss or accident, or to reduce its effects, but the 144-hour/three-week cap still applies, and the employer must properly document the reason.

Ramadan Overtime Calculation in the UAE

During Ramadan, normal working hours are reduced by two hours daily for all private-sector employees, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. For an employee whose normal schedule is 8 hours, that means overtime begins after 6 hours instead of 8. The divisor in the formula stays at 8; only the point where overtime begins changes.

Example: Basic salary AED 8,000, 8 hours worked on a Ramadan day (limit is 6, so 2 hours are overtime):

• Hourly rate: 8,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = AED 33.33
• Ramadan OT (1.25x): 33.33 × 1.25 × 2 = AED 83.33

If those 2 hours fall between 10 PM and 4 AM, use 1.50x instead: 33.33 × 1.50 × 2 = AED 100.00

Who Is Eligible for Overtime Pay?

Most private-sector employees registered under MOHRE qualify, including fixed-term contract staff and employees during probation, overtime entitlement applies from day one.

Who Is Exempt From Overtime?

Under Article 20 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, certain categories are excluded from the working-hours provisions, with the specific categories set out in the Executive Regulations (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 15(4)):

• Chairpersons and members of boards of directors
• Employees in supervisory positions who hold genuine employer-level authority
• Maritime ship crews and workers at sea with special service conditions
• Employees in continuous successive-shift technical work, provided average hours don’t exceed 56 hours per week

The exemption is based on actual job function and authority, not job title. A “Manager” doing regular operational work alongside their team may still be entitled to overtime.

Part-Time Employees and Extra Hours

Part-time employees have different rules because their agreed working hours are set out in their employment contract. Generally, an employer cannot require a part-time worker to exceed those agreed hours without the worker’s written consent. Compensation for additional hours depends on the specific contract, so the standard full-time overtime formula shouldn’t automatically be applied.

Common Overtime Calculation Mistakes in UAE

1. Using gross salary instead of basic salary. Overtime is calculated on basic salary only. Adding housing or transport allowances gives the wrong rate.
2. Using a different divisor without checking. The standard method is 30 days per month. If your payroll or contract uses another method, confirm it before comparing figures.
3. Mixing up public holiday and rest day rules. Public holiday work falls under Article 28, and rest day work under Article 19. In both cases the employer gives either a substitute day off or the normal wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage, but not both.
4. Missing the Ramadan threshold. During Ramadan, overtime starts after 6 hours, not 8, for an employee on a normal 8-hour day.
5. Going over 2 hours of overtime a day. This is allowed only in an emergency, and total hours still cannot exceed 144 in any three weeks.
6. Treating every “Manager” as exempt. The exemption covers only people with genuine supervisory authority. A job title alone does not remove the right to overtime pay.

UAE Overtime Pay Per Hour by Basic Salary

Monthly Basic Salary (AED)	Base Hourly Rate	Normal OT 1.25x	Night/Rest Day 1.50x
3,000	12.50	15.62	18.75
5,000	20.83	26.04	31.25
6,000	25.00	31.25	37.50
8,000	33.33	41.67	50.00
10,000	41.67	52.08	62.50
12,000	50.00	62.50	75.00
15,000	62.50	78.12	93.75
20,000	83.33	104.17	125.00

How to Calculate UAE Overtime in Excel

Need to calculate overtime in Excel? Use these formulas:

Cell	What to Enter
A1	Basic Monthly Salary
B1	Normal OT hours
B2	Night OT hours
B3	Weekly rest day OT hours
B4	Public holiday OT hours (no substitute day)

• Normal OT (C1): =(A1/30/8)*1.25*B1
• Night OT (C2): =(A1/30/8)*1.50*B2
• Rest Day OT (C3): =(A1/30/8)*1.50*B3
• Public Holiday Work, no substitute day (C4): =(A1/30/8)*1.50*B4
• Total (D1): =SUM(C1:C4)

If a substitute day is provided instead of pay, the cash calculation doesn’t apply, the compensation is an alternative, not an addition.

Can an Employee Refuse Overtime?

Employers may ask an employee to work overtime, subject to the statutory limits under Article 19, including the general 2-hour daily cap. Whether an employee can decline a specific request can depend on the employment contract and the circumstances, particularly in a genuine emergency where declining could be treated as misconduct. Once overtime hours are worked, payment at the applicable rate is a legal obligation, and non-payment is reportable to MOHRE.

What If Your Employer Doesn’t Pay Overtime?

You can file a complaint with MOHRE through:

• MOHRE official portal
• MOHRE Call Centre and WhatsApp: 600590000
• MOHRE email: ask@mohre.gov.ae
• Labour Claims Advisory Centre: 80084

MOHRE typically attempts mediation first. If the matter isn’t resolved through that process, it may be referred to the relevant labour dispute authority depending on the circumstances.

Special Overtime Situations

Abu Dhabi private-sector employees follow the exact same federal rules as Dubai and other emirates, apart from ADGM and government-sector employees, there’s no separate Abu Dhabi overtime law.

Domestic workers are not covered by this law; they fall under Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, with separate rest-day and compensation rules.

DIFC and ADGM employees follow their own free zone employment regulations rather than these federal rates.

Conclusion

UAE overtime law under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 sets clear minimum rates, and MOHRE enforces them. Whether you are an employee checking your payslip or an HR manager running payroll in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or any other emirate, the method is the same for MOHRE-regulated private-sector workers.

Three things to remember:

• Use basic salary only, never gross, for every overtime calculation.
• Use the standard 30-day month for the daily rate, unless your contract says otherwise.
• Public holiday work without a substitute day off is paid at the normal wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage (1.50x), under Article 28.

Use the UAE overtime rules calculator at the top of this page to estimate your overtime pay in seconds. If your employer does not pay the overtime you have worked, keep your payslips and attendance records and raise it with MOHRE. Whether you work in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or another emirate, the calculation method remains the same for MOHRE-regulated private sector employees.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is overtime calculated in UAE labor law?

Overtime is calculated using your basic salary: Basic Salary ÷ 30 ÷ 8 × Overtime Hours × Rate. The rate is 1.25× for normal overtime and 1.50× for night overtime (10 PM to 4 AM), weekly rest days, and public holidays without a substitute day off, under Articles 19 and 28 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021.

How is overtime calculated in UAE law?

First, find your basic hourly rate by dividing your basic monthly salary by 30, then by 8. Multiply that rate by 1.25 for normal daytime overtime (4 AM to 10 PM) or 1.50 for night overtime, rest-day work, or public holiday work without a substitute day off. If your employer gives you a substitute day off instead, no additional cash is due for that day.

How much is 1 hour of overtime in UAE?

On a basic salary of AED 6,000, the basic hourly rate is AED 25.00 (6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8). One hour of normal overtime is AED 31.25 (1.25×), while one hour of night or rest-day overtime is AED 37.50 (1.50×).

How to calculate 1.5 times overtime in UAE?

Find your basic hourly rate using Basic Salary ÷ 30 ÷ 8, then multiply it by 1.5 and the number of overtime hours. For example, with an AED 8,000 basic salary, the hourly rate is AED 33.33, so the 1.5× overtime rate is AED 50.00 per hour.

How accurate is the UAE overtime rules calculator?

It provides an estimate using the standard formula and minimum rates under Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021. Your actual pay may differ if your employment contract provides higher rates, different working hours, or a different daily-rate calculation method.

What is the OT formula in UAE?

The basic formula is Basic Salary ÷ 30 ÷ 8 × OT Hours × Rate. Use 1.25× for normal overtime and 1.50× for night hours, weekly rest days, and public holidays without a substitute day off. The calculation uses basic salary, excluding housing, transport, food, and other allowances.

Is overtime in UAE calculated on basic or gross salary?

Overtime is calculated on basic salary, not gross salary. Article 19 bases the overtime increase on the basic wage, so allowances such as housing, transport, and food are generally excluded from the calculation.

What is the public holiday overtime rate in UAE when no day off is given?

Under Article 28, if you work on a public holiday, your employer must either provide a substitute rest day or pay your normal wage for that day plus at least 50% of the basic wage. In practice, this means at least 1.50× your basic hourly rate for the hours worked.

What happens if an employer does not pay overtime in UAE?

You can file a complaint with MOHRE through its app, website, or by calling 600 590 000. MOHRE first attempts to settle the dispute. If that does not resolve the matter, MOHRE can decide claims of up to AED 50,000 itself, while larger claims can proceed to the labour court.

Can an employer ask employees to work more than 2 hours of overtime per day?

Normally, no. Article 19 limits overtime to 2 hours per day. An exception applies to urgent work needed to prevent serious loss, an accident, or to reduce its effects. Even in that situation, total working hours cannot exceed 144 hours in any three weeks.

Does overtime apply during the probation period in UAE?

Yes. Overtime rules apply from the start of employment, including during the probation period, when an employee works qualifying overtime hours.

How is overtime calculated for part-time employees in UAE?

Part-time employees work the hours agreed in their employment contract. Extra hours require the applicable agreement or approval, and the pay calculation can depend on the contract and work arrangement. Therefore, the standard full-time overtime formula should not be applied automatically to every part-time employee.

How do I compute overtime pay in UAE?

Divide your basic monthly salary by 30 and then by 8 to calculate your basic hourly rate. Multiply it by your overtime hours and then by 1.25 for normal overtime or 1.50 for night, weekly rest-day, or qualifying public holiday work. You can also use the calculator at the top of this page.