Overtime Pay for Gulf Workers 2026: Rates, Rules and How to Claim

Overtime pay is extra pay for hours worked beyond the standard working week, and in the Gulf it is a legal right, not a favour from your employer. In the UAE the standard week is 48 hours, and overtime is paid at your basic wage plus 25 percent, rising to 50 percent extra for night work between 9pm and 4am. In Saudi Arabia overtime is paid at 150 percent of your normal hourly wage.

Many Gulf workers lose hundreds of dollars a year in unpaid overtime because they never record their extra hours or never ask. The fix is simple: keep a written log of every extra hour, know the rate for your country, and raise unpaid overtime in writing with your employer. If that fails, the labour authority in your country of work can help you claim it.

The UAE labour law sets the standard working week at 48 hours, or eight hours a day over six days. Hours beyond 48 are overtime, paid at the basic wage plus 25 percent. Work between 9pm and 4am is paid at the basic wage plus 50 percent. If you work on your rest day, you must be given another rest day or paid at the overtime rate. During Ramadan, working hours are reduced by two hours a day for all workers, and overtime is calculated from the shorter day.

Saudi Arabia sets the standard week at 48 hours as well, or 36 hours during Ramadan. Overtime is paid at 150 percent of the normal hourly wage, and work on rest days or public holidays is also paid at the overtime rate. Qatar's standard week is 48 hours, with overtime paid at the basic wage plus 25 percent, and the law caps total working hours including overtime at 60 hours a week except in emergencies.

Note that overtime is calculated on your basic wage, not your total salary. If your contract splits your pay into a basic wage plus allowances, the overtime rate uses the basic wage figure. This is why you should always check what your basic wage is when you sign — a low basic wage means lower overtime pay even if the total salary looks good.

Your employer can ask you to work overtime, but in most Gulf countries they cannot force you to, and they cannot punish you for refusing overtime that is not in your contract. Some contracts include a clause saying you agree to work reasonable overtime when the business needs it — if yours does, that is what you signed up for, but it must still be paid at the overtime rate.

There are limits. The UAE caps total working hours including overtime, and workers must get at least one rest day a week. Pregnant workers, workers under 18, and workers in hazardous jobs have additional protections. If your employer regularly demands overtime beyond the legal limits, that is a labour law violation, and you can report it.

Watch for the most common trick: employers who pay a flat monthly salary and claim it covers all overtime. Unless your contract explicitly states a fixed overtime allowance and the amount is reasonable, your employer must still pay overtime at the legal rate. A contract cannot take away a right the labour law gives you.

Step one: keep a daily log. Write down the date, your start time, your finish time, and what you were working on. Keep any messages from your supervisor asking you to stay late — WhatsApp messages and emails are evidence. A log kept at the time is far more convincing than a memory reconstructed months later.

Step two: calculate what you are owed. Take your basic wage, divide by the standard monthly hours to get your hourly rate, then multiply the extra hours by the overtime rate for your country. Keep the calculation simple and show your working — HR is more likely to pay a clear, itemised claim than a vague complaint.

Step three: raise it in writing with your employer or HR, giving the dates, hours, and amount. Give them a reasonable time to respond, usually two weeks. Step four: if they refuse or ignore you, file a complaint with the labour authority — the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, the Saudi labour office, or the equivalent in Qatar. Complaints are free, and the authority can order your employer to pay.

The most common problem is that workers never record their hours, so when they complain they have no evidence. Start your log on day one of the job, even if you are not planning to complain — it costs nothing and it protects you. Photograph your timesheets if you use them, and keep copies of your payslips every month.

The second problem is not knowing the basic wage. Many workers only know their total salary, and when they calculate overtime on the total they get a different number from their employer, which causes arguments. Ask HR for your basic wage in writing when you start, and keep it with your contract.

The third problem is waiting too long. Labour complaints have time limits, and evidence gets harder to gather as months pass. If overtime is unpaid for more than a month, raise it then — do not wait a year and then try to reconstruct twelve months of hours from memory.

Your payslip should show your basic wage, your allowances, and any overtime paid, separately. Check it every month: compare the overtime line with your own log, and query any discrepancy the same month it happens. If your employer does not give you a payslip, ask for one — in the UAE and Saudi Arabia employers are required to provide one.

Keep your employment contract, your offer letter, every payslip, and your overtime log in one place, ideally as photos on your phone and copies at home. If you ever need to file a complaint, these documents are your case. Without them, the labour authority has to rely on your employer's records, which may not be in your favour.

If you change jobs, keep the old documents too. Unpaid overtime claims can be filed after you leave, but the time limit is usually short — in the UAE, labour claims should generally be filed within a year of the wages falling due, so do not delay.

SteadStaff connects workers with Gulf employers and supports candidates through the recruitment process, including guidance on contracts, pay, and the documents you will need. The process begins with a review of your resume and experience, followed by employer matching and interview preparation.

There are no guaranteed placements and no job is promised before an employer interview. What you get is a structured route: help understanding your contract and overtime terms before you sign, and guidance on the paperwork for your visa. If you are considering a Gulf job, start your application now so that employer matching is under way while you prepare.