Overtime Calculator (UAE)
The minimum overtime pay under Articles 19 and 28 of the Labour Law — regular hours, night hours, rest days and public holidays.
Salary and hours
Enter the basic salary and the overtime worked in the period you are calculating (for example a month)
Basic only — overtime is calculated on it
The legal maximum is 8 hours a day (the Cabinet can change it for some sectors)
At basic pay + at least 25%
At basic pay + at least 50% (not for shift workers)
The day's wage (taken here as basic pay) + 50% of the basic day's wage, unless a day off is given instead
Breakdown (statutory minimum)
Basic hourly rate
Basic ÷ 30 ÷ 8
AED 25
Regular overtime
10 h × rate × 1.25
AED 312.5
Night overtime
0 h × rate × 1.5
AED 0
Rest days and holidays
0 day(s) × basic daily wage × 1.5
AED 0
Overtime pay (at least)
AED 312.5
Payroll for a whole team?
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- Every figure is the legal minimum on the basic wage: the law says "not less than" 25% or 50%, so a contract can pay more. For rest days and public holidays the law pays the normal day's wage plus 50% of the basic day's wage; this tool takes the day's wage as basic pay, so with allowances the minimum can be higher.
- Overtime is calculated on the basic wage (Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 19). The law sets no formula for an hourly rate; this calculator uses basic ÷ 30 ÷ normal daily hours.
- Overtime may not exceed 2 hours a day unless the work is needed to prevent or limit a serious loss or accident, and total working hours may not exceed 144 every 3 weeks (Art. 19(1); IR Art. 15(3)). Board members, supervisors with the employer's authority, seafarers, continuous-shift work (average up to 56 hours a week) and certain preparatory work are exempt from the maximum hours (IR Art. 15(4)).
- The 50% night rate (10 pm–4 am) does not apply to shift workers (Art. 19(3)).
- Instead of pay, an employee who works a rest day or public holiday can be given another day off (Art. 19(4), Art. 28(2)).
- Juveniles may not work overtime under the Decree-Law. ADGM says it is exempt from the federal Labour Law, and the DIFC has its own Employment Law.
This is a planning estimate only, not legal advice. The actual amount depends on your contract and company policy.
UAE overtime rules
| Case | Minimum pay |
|---|---|
| Regular overtime | Basic wage + 25% (Art. 19(2)) |
| Overtime 10 pm–4 am | Basic wage + 50%, not for shift workers (Art. 19(3)) |
| Work on the weekly rest day | Another day off, or the day's wage + 50% of the basic day's wage (Art. 19(4)) |
| Work on a public holiday | Another day off, or the day's wage + 50% of the basic day's wage (Art. 28(2)) |
| Limits | 2 overtime hours a day unless needed to prevent a serious loss or accident; 144 working hours every 3 weeks (Art. 19(1); IR Art. 15(3)) |
Official source: MOHRE — Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and its amendments (PDF), Articles 17–19 and 28 (verified 2026-10-25)
Worked examples: AED 6,000 basic, 8-hour day
The basic daily wage is AED 200 and the hourly rate AED 25, so a regular overtime hour is at least AED 31.25 and a night hour AED 37.50.
| Regular h | Night h | Rest days | At least |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0 | 0 | AED 312.5 |
| 20 | 0 | 0 | AED 625 |
| 10 | 10 | 0 | AED 687.5 |
| 0 | 0 | 2 | AED 600 |
Related: UAE Labour Law guide · working hours guide · leave salary calculator · WPS salary rules
Frequently Asked Questions
On the basic wage. Overtime is paid at the basic hourly wage plus at least 25%, or plus at least 50% between 10 pm and 4 am (shift workers excluded). Work on the weekly rest day or a public holiday earns another day off, or the day's wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage for that day (Decree-Law 33/2021, Art. 19 and Art. 28).
No more than two hours a day, unless the work is needed to prevent or limit a serious loss or accident, and total working hours may not exceed 144 every three weeks (Art. 19(1); IR Art. 15(3)). Normal hours are at most 8 a day or 48 a week (Art. 17). Some categories, such as board members, supervisors with the employer's authority and seafarers, are exempt from the maximum hours (IR Art. 15(4)).
The law calculates overtime on the basic wage. A contract or company policy can pay more, because the law sets a minimum ("not less than").
The law does not give a formula. This calculator divides the basic monthly salary by 30 for a daily rate and by the normal daily hours for an hourly rate. Check your contract or company policy for the method your employer uses.
Normal working hours are reduced by two hours a day during Ramadan in the private sector (u.ae; Implementing Regulation).
No. Article 19(3) excludes workers on shifts from the 50% rate for overtime between 10 pm and 4 am.