The UAE 2-Hour Daily Overtime Cap Explained
October 23, 2026
Per the official u.ae guidance on Article 17, overtime is capped at 2 extra hours per day beyond an employee's normal working hours — a legal limit on how much additional time an employer can require in a single day.
Skip the math and get your answer instantly:
Open the UAE Overtime Pay Calculator →What the Cap Means Practically
If normal working hours are 8 per day, the maximum total working time on a given day (including overtime) would be 10 hours, under this cap. This limits how much overtime pay calculations need to account for on any single day, since hours beyond the cap would fall outside the normal overtime framework.
This Is a Daily Limit, Not Weekly
The 2-hour figure specifically caps daily overtime — it doesn't directly state a separate weekly overtime maximum. An employee working overtime every day of the week could still be within the daily cap each day while accumulating a larger total across the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the daily overtime cap in the UAE?
2 extra hours beyond an employee's normal working hours per day, per Article 17.
If normal hours are 8/day, what's the max total working time?
10 hours per day, including the 2-hour overtime cap.
Is there a separate weekly overtime cap?
The official guidance specifies the cap as a daily figure, not a distinct weekly maximum.
What happens if overtime exceeds the 2-hour cap?
This would go beyond what the standard overtime framework is designed to cover — worth raising with HR or MOHRE if it's a recurring situation.