Ramadan Working Hours in the UAE: A Guide for HR and Payroll

Every year, working hours in the UAE private sector are reduced during the holy month of Ramadan. Getting the change right matters: it affects shift times, late marks, overtime and the salary paid through WPS. This guide explains the rules and how to prepare.

The rule

Under the UAE Labour Law, Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, and its Executive Regulations, normal working hours in the private sector are reduced by two hours a day during Ramadan. The reduction applies to all employees, whether or not they are fasting. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) usually announces the Ramadan working hours each year shortly before the month begins.

The reduced hours do not reduce pay. Employees receive their normal salary for the month.

Overtime during Ramadan

Hours worked beyond the reduced Ramadan schedule count as overtime. For example, if an employee's normal day is 8 hours, the Ramadan day is 6 hours, so a person who works 8 hours has worked 2 hours of overtime. The usual rates apply:

• basic hourly wage plus 25% for normal overtime;
• basic hourly wage plus 50% for overtime between 10 PM and 4 AM, except for shift workers.

Try the numbers with our UAE overtime calculator.

Checklist before Ramadan starts

1. Create Ramadan shifts with the reduced hours for each team, including night and split shifts.
2. Set the dates to switch shifts on the first day of Ramadan and back after Eid al-Fitr. The start date depends on the moon sighting, so be ready to adjust by a day.
3. Review late and early-exit rules so employees are not marked late against the normal schedule.
4. Agree overtime in advance for teams that must keep normal hours, such as retail, logistics and hospitality.
5. Plan the Eid al-Fitr holiday in your public holiday calendar so attendance and payroll treat it as paid leave.
6. Tell employees the new hours in writing.

Common mistakes

• Leaving normal shifts active, which creates false late marks and deductions.
• Not counting hours beyond the reduced schedule as overtime.
• Changing shifts by hand for each employee, which is slow and error-prone in larger teams.

How TopTimePro helps

In TopTimePro you can set Ramadan shifts with start and end dates for whole departments or branches. Biometric punches and mobile check-ins are measured against the Ramadan schedule, and overtime flows into payroll and the WPS file automatically.

Last reviewed: October 2026. Source: UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 and Cabinet Resolution No. 1 of 2022 (Executive Regulations); MOHRE announcements. Ramadan dates depend on the moon sighting. This article is general information, not legal advice.