How many overtime hours are allowed in the UAE?
Under Article 19 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, an employer may ask a private-sector worker to work no more than two hours of overtime a day, except under conditions in the Implementing Regulation. In all cases total working hours may not exceed 144 hours in any three-week period.
How the limits work together
Normal hours for most workers are 8 a day or 48 a week, reduced by two hours a day in Ramadan. Two hours of overtime on a six-day week adds 12 hours, giving 60, but the 144-hour cap over three weeks averages 48 a week, so sustained long weeks must be balanced by shorter ones.
What a contractor should track
- Daily overtime per worker, against the two-hour limit.
- A rolling three-week total, against 144 hours.
- Consecutive weekend days worked.
- Approval for each overtime period before it is worked.
Related tools and guides
See the labour law guide, the gratuity calculator, the overtime calculator, the annual leave calculator, the final settlement calculator and the meaning of basic salary.
Worked example
A crew works 10 hours a day, six days a week, for two weeks: 60 hours a week, 120 in two weeks. To stay within 144 hours over three weeks, the third week can include no more than 24 working hours.
Questions people ask
Can overtime exceed two hours in an emergency?
Only under conditions set in the Implementing Regulation.
Do Ramadan hours change the limits?
Normal hours are reduced by two hours a day during Ramadan.
How is the 144-hour limit counted?
As total working hours in any three-week period.