UAE Labour Law (2026): Leave, Working Hours, Notice & Probation

Working hours

Normal working hours are a maximum of 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week.

• You cannot be made to work more than 5 hours in a row without a break or breaks totalling at least 1 hour. Breaks do not count as working hours.
• Time spent commuting between home and work does not count as working hours, except for some categories set by the Executive Regulations.
• The Cabinet can raise or lower daily hours for certain sectors or categories of workers.
• Midday break: work under direct sun in open places is banned from 12:30 pm to 3 pm between 15 June and 15 September each year (Ministerial Resolution No. 44 of 2022).
• If you work remotely with your employer's approval, the employer may set specific working hours.

Articles 17 and 18

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Ramadan working hours

During Ramadan, normal private-sector working hours are cut by 2 hours a day.

• The rule comes from the Executive Regulations of the labour law (Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022), and MoHRE confirms it in a circular every year.
• The reduction applies to private-sector employees regardless of religion, so non-Muslim staff also get the shorter day.
• Companies may use flexible or remote working arrangements, as long as they stay within the reduced daily hours.
• Hours worked beyond the reduced Ramadan schedule may count as overtime and be paid as such.

Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022, Article 15(2)

Sources:mohre.gov.aekhaleejtimes.comgulfnews.comu.ae

Overtime

Overtime is capped at 2 hours a day and paid at your basic hourly wage plus at least 25%, or plus at least 50% between 10 pm and 4 am.

• Total working hours, including overtime, must not exceed 144 hours every 3 weeks.
• The 50% night-time rate does not apply to shift workers.
• If you work on your weekly rest day, you get another day off or that day's wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage.
• Working on a public holiday earns the same: a replacement day off or the day's wage plus at least 50% of the basic wage.

Articles 19 and 28

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Weekly rest day

You are entitled to at least 1 paid rest day a week, as set in your contract or the company's work rules.

• The Cabinet can increase the number of weekly rest days, and employers may give more.
• You cannot be required to work more than 2 rest days in a row, except for day-wage workers.
• You also get full pay on official public holidays set by the Cabinet.

Article 21

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Annual leave

You get at least 30 days of fully paid annual leave for each year of service, or 2 days per month if you have worked more than 6 months but less than a year.

• Your employer sets the leave dates based on work needs and must tell you at least 1 month in advance.
• You can carry leave over to the next year with your employer's approval. The employer cannot stop you from taking leave accrued for more than 2 years unless you choose to carry it forward or be paid for it.
• If you leave the job with unused leave, you must be paid for those days, calculated on your basic wage.
• Public holidays that fall during your annual leave count as part of the leave, unless your contract or company rules give you something better.

Article 29

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Sick leave

After probation you can take up to 90 days of sick leave a year: 15 days on full pay, 30 days on half pay and the rest unpaid.

• Tell your employer within 3 working days and submit a medical report from a medical entity.
• There is no paid sick leave during probation, but the employer may grant unpaid sick leave based on a medical report.
• Sick leave is unpaid if the illness results from your own misconduct, such as alcohol or drug use.
• If you cannot return after using all 90 days, the employer may end your contract but must pay all your end-of-service dues.

Article 31

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Maternity leave

Women get 60 days of maternity leave: the first 45 days on full pay and the next 15 days on half pay.

• Leave can start from the last day of the month before the expected delivery month, with a medical certificate.
• Up to 45 more days of unpaid leave are allowed if illness from pregnancy or childbirth stops the mother returning, proven by a medical certificate.
• If the baby is sick or has a disability needing a constant companion, the mother gets 30 extra days on full pay, extendable by 30 unpaid days.
• For 6 months after delivery, the mother gets one or two paid nursing breaks a day, totalling no more than 1 hour.
• An employer cannot dismiss a woman, or give her notice, because of pregnancy or maternity leave.

Article 30

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Parental (paternity) leave

Either parent gets 5 paid working days of parental leave, to be used within 6 months of the child's birth.

• The 5 days can be taken in one block or split up.
• Fathers and mothers both qualify. For mothers it is in addition to maternity leave.
• You may be asked for proof, such as the birth certificate.

Article 32

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Bereavement leave

You get 5 paid days if your spouse dies and 3 paid days for the death of a parent, child, sibling, grandchild or grandparent.

• The leave starts from the date of death.
• It is a legal right, not a favour at the employer's discretion.
• You may need to provide proof, such as a death certificate.

Article 32

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Hajj leave

You can get up to 30 days of unpaid leave to perform Hajj, once during your employment with the same employer.

• Hajj leave is a special unpaid leave, granted only once while you work for the same employer.
• The law has no specific Umrah leave. The employer decides whether to approve it, deduct it from annual leave or treat it as unpaid leave.
• Unpaid leave does not count toward your service period for end-of-service benefits.

Sources:u.aeu.ae

Probation period

Probation can last up to 6 months, and an employer must give at least 14 days' written notice to end your contract during it.

• To move to another UAE employer during probation, you must give at least 1 month's written notice. The new employer usually compensates the old one for recruitment costs.
• To leave the UAE during probation, you must give at least 14 days' written notice.
• If you quit during probation without following these rules, you can be barred from a new work permit for 1 year.
• Probation can only be applied once with the same employer, and it counts as part of your service.

Article 9

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Notice period

Either side can end the contract with written notice of at least 30 days and no more than 90 days, as set in the contract.

• You are paid your full wage during the notice period and must work it if the employer asks.
• The side that does not respect the notice period must pay the other a notice allowance equal to the wage for the full or remaining notice period.
• If the employer ends the contract, you can take 1 unpaid day off a week during notice to look for a new job, telling the employer 3 days ahead.
• Both sides can agree to shorten or waive the notice period, but the worker keeps all rights for the agreed period.

Article 43

Sources:assets.u.aeu.ae

Termination and end-of-service gratuity

A contract can end by agreement, at the end of its term or with proper notice, and after 1 year of service a foreign worker earns a gratuity of 21 days' basic wage per year for the first 5 years and 30 days per year after that.

• The employer can dismiss without notice only in listed cases, such as forged documents, assault, drunkenness at work, or absence without reason for more than 20 separate days a year or 7 days in a row, after a written investigation.
• You can quit without notice and keep your rights if the employer breaks its obligations and does not fix it after you notify MoHRE 14 working days ahead, or if you are assaulted or harassed at work.
• Dismissal because you filed a serious complaint with MoHRE or a valid lawsuit is unlawful. A court can award up to 3 months' wages on top of your other dues.
• Total gratuity cannot exceed 2 years' wages. The employer must pay all final dues within 14 days of the contract ending.
• Since Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2024, a labour claim can be filed up to 2 years after the employment ends, and MoHRE can decide disputes worth up to AED 50,000.

Articles 42-47, 51 and 53

Sources:assets.u.aeu.aegulfnews.com

Frequently asked questions