Working Hours & Overtime Law Saudi Arabia — Complete Guide 2026

Legal Working Hours in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Labour Law sets strict limits on how many hours an employee can be required to work. These limits apply to all workers in Saudi Arabia — both Saudi nationals and expatriates.

What Counts as Working Time?

Working time includes all time you are required to be at your workplace and available for work. It includes:

• All hours at your desk or workstation performing duties
• Time spent in meetings, training and work-related travel during work hours
• Standby time where you are required to remain available at work
• Time spent waiting for work assignments while at the workplace

It does not include:

• Meal and prayer breaks where you are free to leave the workstation
• Commuting time to and from work
• On-call time at home where you are not required to be at the workplace

Rest Breaks During the Working Day

Saudi Labour Law requires that working hours do not run continuously for more than 5 hours without a break. Workers are entitled to breaks for rest, meals and prayer that together total no less than 30 minutes.

These breaks are not counted as working time and are not paid — unless your employment contract specifically states they are. Most Saudi employers include prayer breaks as paid time.

Weekly Rest Day

Every worker in Saudi Arabia is entitled to a minimum of one rest day per week with full pay. Friday is the official weekly rest day in Saudi Arabia. Many companies also give Saturday as a second rest day, making a two-day weekend.

If your employer requires you to work on your weekly rest day, they must either:

• Pay you at the overtime rate of 150% for that day, or
• Give you a substitute rest day elsewhere in the week

Overtime Rates in Saudi Arabia

Any work beyond the legal maximum hours is overtime and must be compensated at the rates specified in Saudi Labour Law.

Worked Example — Overtime Calculation

Basic salary SAR 6,000. You work 2 hours overtime on 3 weekdays and 4 hours on a public holiday in one month.

Maximum Overtime Hours Allowed

Saudi Labour Law limits how much overtime can be worked. The standard limit is 3 hours of overtime per day, meaning the maximum total working day is 11 hours.

Exceptions exist for certain industries and emergency situations — such as preventing a major loss, completing urgent work or dealing with an accident. In these cases the employer can require additional overtime but must still pay the overtime rate.

Can Your Employer Force You to Work Overtime?

In general, overtime should be agreed between employer and employee. However, Saudi Labour Law allows employers to require overtime without the employee's agreement in specific circumstances:

• To prevent a major accident or financial loss
• To complete work that cannot be interrupted without serious consequences
• For work required during official national emergencies
• During peak business periods if this is stated in the employment contract

Outside of these situations, forcing an employee to work overtime without agreement and without payment is a violation of Saudi Labour Law.

Ramadan Working Hours — Full Rules

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslim workers are entitled to reduced working hours under Saudi Labour Law. The rules are:

• Maximum 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week for Muslim workers
• These reduced hours must be paid at the full normal salary — no deduction
• Any hours worked beyond 6 per day during Ramadan are overtime and paid at 150%
• Employers cannot use Ramadan reduced hours to reduce monthly salary
• Non-Muslim workers are not automatically entitled to reduced hours under the law — check your contract

Public Holiday Working

Saudi Arabia has official public holidays including Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and Saudi National Day. Working on these days entitles you to:

• Payment at 200% of your normal hourly rate for all hours worked
• Or a substitute day off — to be agreed in advance
• Both options are legally valid — your employer chooses which to apply

Who Is Exempt from Overtime Rules?

Not all employees are covered by the overtime provisions of Saudi Labour Law. The following categories may be treated differently:

• Senior managers — Those with authority to hire and fire are generally exempt from overtime calculations
• Domestic workers — Governed by separate domestic worker regulations
• Agricultural workers — Covered by separate provisions
• Sea workers — Separate maritime regulations apply

How to Claim Unpaid Overtime

• Document your hours — Keep records of all overtime worked. Timesheets, emails asking you to stay late, access card logs, any written evidence.
• Calculate the amount — Use our Overtime Calculator to work out the total owed.
• Request in writing — Send HR a written request for your unpaid overtime with your calculation.
• File at HRSD — If ignored, file a complaint at hrsd.gov.sa. Include your hours records and calculation as evidence.
• Act within 1 year — The statute of limitations for overtime claims is one year from the date each overtime payment was due.

Frequently Asked Questions