[UAE Labour Law] Guide to Working Hours, Official Leaves, and Vacations

labour law work hours, leaves in uae

Thinking of living and building your career in the UAE? You have to understand that labour laws in your country may not necessarily be the same when you move in other places such as the UAE.

It is for this reason that we need to have a basic understanding of some of the laws concerning work in the UAE, such as those that deal with working hours, official heaves, and vacations, to name a few.

working hours in uae

[Guide] Things to Know About Working Hours, Official Leaves, and Vacations in the UAE

In this post, we will share some of the basic and useful guidelines as outlined by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), formerly known as the Ministry of Labour.

Any type of job or legal work involves regular working hours, official leaves, and vacations. In the private sector, here is what the UAE Labour Law provides concerning these matters:

Working Hours

  • Regular work hours for employees is 8 hours per day or 48 hours per week (Article 65).
  • The work hours may be increased to 9 hours per day for businesses, cafés, and hotels – but this will require the approval from the MoHRE.
  • Working for more than 7 hours in a day is not allowed among jobs that require “heavy physical labour.”
  • Any job that demands working beyond prescribed working hours may be subject to overtime pay, itemized as follows:
    • Overtime pay should be equal to the rate for regular working hours, and an additional 25% of that amount. This may be increased up to 50% if overtime work was done between 9 pm and 4 am.
    • Regular work hours are reduced by two hours per day during Ramadan.

Official Leaves and Vacations    

  • In the UAE, Friday is the official weekend for employees, except for daily wage earners.
  • In the instance where a job requires overtime work on a Friday, the pay must be equal to the rate for regular working hours, and an additional increase of not less than 50% of that amount.

Public Holidays and Paid Leaves

Employees are entitled to paid leaves on public holidays listed below:

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

Note: Other holidays not included in the above list would depend on official announcements released by concerned authorities. To get updates on upcoming public holiday announcements, be sure to check with official news sources to get alerts regarding this matter.

Annual Leaves, Sick Leaves, and Special Leaves

Outside public holidays, employees are entitled to annual paid leaves, sick leaves, and special leaves. Based on the UAE Labour Law, the provisions for these leaves are as follows:

  • Employees are granted two paid leaves for each month, provided that they have rendered a minimum service period of six (6) months and a maximum of one (1) year.
  • Annual leave of 30 days; provided that the employee has completed one (1) year of service.
  • Sick leave of not more than 90 days (3 months) per year, subject to the provisions specified in the law:
    • First 15 days – full payment
    • Succeeding 30 days – half pay
    • Remaining 45 days – no pay
  • Special leave of not more than 30 days, specifically for the performance of Hajj. Special leave is without pay, and is only granted once throughout the worker’s years of service.

Understanding these things will better equip for your journey in your career in the UAE. Remember though that updates may be released every now and then so be sure to check with the official authority in the UAE, the MoHRE, for concerns or questions that you may have regarding these matters.

ALSO READ: Employment Contracts in the UAE

[Labour Law] Workers are Entitled to Two Days Off Every Week in Oman

[Labour Law] Workers are Entitled to Two Days Off Every Week in Oman

Working from one place to another exposes us to the differences in work culture and labour codes between countries.

ALSO READ: Here Are 5 Reasons Why You Should Work in Oman

Therefore, it is important for us to get into the details of our employment contract as well as to gain understanding of the labour law that applies in the host country’s workforce to set proper expectations. Whatever is mandated under the Labour Code must be observed by all companies in the country. Any deviation from the law can be questioned or verified with concerned agencies or departments.

[Labour Law] Workers are Entitled to Two Days Off Every Week in Oman

Two-Day Weekly Off Mandatory for Workers in Oman

Regarding rest days, the Labour law mandates all employees in the Sultanate of Oman to have at least two consecutive rest days after working continuously for five days.

This provision is based on Article 71 of the Labour Law, as observed by the Ministry of Manpower.

Since 2011, private sector employees in Oman have been enjoying a five-day work week following the amendments to the Labour Law.

However, workers in domestic services such as drivers, maids, cooks and those with similar jobs are excluded from this law. The Labour Law states that the Ministry of Manpower shall issue general guidelines and terms of work related to these categories.

Furthermore, the accumulation of weekly rest periods for not more than eight weeks may be permitted by the minister in respect of certain places of work specified by the minister, if the employer and the employee agree to this in writing.

The law also maintains that the weekly rest, in all cases, shall be payable.

Experts, on the other hand, expressed that employees can be required to work six days per week, granted that this is clearly stipulated in the contract, and that the worker be paid double their daily basic salary for the sixth day, or given an extra day of annual leave in compensation for every sixth day worked.

According to Article 68 of the Labour Code, an employee may not be required to work for more than nine hours a day and a maximum of 45 hours a week with at least half-an-hour breaks for food and rest.

Furthermore, the maximum work hours during Ramadan shall be six hours a day or 30 hours per week for Muslim employees.

The work hours must also be separated by one or more intervals (breaks) for having food and rest, the total of which shall not be less than half an hour.

Workers must not be required to perform continuous work exceeding six hours in a day. However, an employee may be required to work for more hours if the interest of work so dictates provided the total original and extra work hours do not exceed 12 hours a day as recommended by the law.

Also, the employee shall be paid overtime pay equal to his basic salary against the extra work hours plus at least 25 percent for day-time work and 50 percent for night work or allow the employee to work extra hours provided he agrees to it in writing.

As for those working in certain places such as ports, airports, on vessels, ships or aircraft, the law states that the employer and the employee may, after securing the approval of the ministry, agree on payment of a fixed allowance for employees in lieu of the overtime payments, provided an approval is issued by the ministry upon notice.

Disclaimer: The topic discussed in this post was published for information-sharing purposes only. Should you have any specific queries or concerns regarding the Labour Law and/or your employment contract, you may get in touch with an officer from Oman’s Ministry of Manpower via their official website.

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