Overtime Pay in Saudi Arabia: 2026 Guide to Rates and Rules
Written by Usama Afzal, Founder & Editor, GratuityHisab. Last updated: October 2026. Based on the Saudi Labour Law; not legal advice.
If you work more than 8 hours a day or 48 hours a week, the extra hours are overtime, and overtime pay Saudi Arabia law sets the price at your normal hourly wage plus 50% (1.5x). Your hourly wage is your monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ 8. On a SAR 6,000 salary that means an hourly wage of SAR 25, an overtime rate of SAR 37.50, and SAR 750 for 20 overtime hours. The law also caps your total day at 12 hours and pays holidays like Eid at the overtime rate.
Overtime pay Saudi Arabia: the short version
You stayed two hours late every day this week and you're wondering what those hours are worth. The answer starts with one clear number: overtime pay Saudi Arabia rules give you 1.5 times your normal hourly wage for every hour past the daily or weekly limit. No complicated tiers, no negotiation needed — the 50% premium is a legal minimum under Article 107 of the Saudi Labour Law.
Standard hours are 8 per day and 48 per week (6 per day and 36 per week in Ramadan for Muslim workers). Anything beyond that is overtime.
To skip the maths, run our free overtime calculator for Saudi Arabia — it applies the 1.5x Saudi overtime rate automatically. And if your employer is not paying overtime at all, also read what to do when your employer doesn't pay.
How overtime pay in Saudi Arabia works: the 1.5x rule
Article 107 of the Saudi Labour Law (Royal Decree M/51) is the reference point for overtime pay Saudi Arabia workers can rely on: any hour worked beyond the daily or weekly limit is paid at the hourly wage plus 50% of that wage. Night work and holiday work are treated as overtime at the same 1.5x rate.
- 1.5x your normal hourly wage — the hourly wage itself is your monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ 8.
- Applies past the daily limit (8 hours, or 6 in Ramadan) and the weekly limit (48 hours, or 36 in Ramadan).
- Weekly rest day work gets a compensatory day off plus the overtime pay (Article 106).
- Official holidays — Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Saudi National Day — are paid at the overtime rate if you work them.
Overtime itself is not part of your gratuity base — overtime is excluded from the wage used for end-of-service awards. See how gratuity is calculated in Saudi Arabia for what the gratuity formula uses.
Normal working hours: when overtime starts
Overtime pay Saudi Arabia law only starts counting after normal hours are done. Article 98 sets the standard at 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week. During Ramadan, Muslim workers work 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week — so in Ramadan the 7th hour of the day is already overtime.
Anything beyond the daily or the weekly limit counts. If you work 9 hours on Monday but your week stays under 48 hours, that 9th hour of Monday is still overtime. If your days stay at 8 but the week passes 48, the extra weekly hours are overtime too.
How to calculate overtime pay in Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Arabia overtime calculation has three steps: find your hourly wage, add the 50% premium, multiply by the overtime hours. Here is the full Saudi Arabia overtime calculation on a real salary:
Step-by-step overtime calculation
- Hourly wage: SAR 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = SAR 25.00 per hour.
- Overtime rate: 25.00 × 1.5 = SAR 37.50 per overtime hour.
- Overtime pay: 20 overtime hours × 37.50 = SAR 750.00.
That worker's overtime pay Saudi Arabia total for the month is SAR 750 on top of the SAR 6,000 salary. The same formula works for any wage — or run the overtime calculator for Saudi Arabia to do it in one click.
Saudi overtime pay table: what 10, 20 or 30 extra hours are worth
The table below prices overtime pay Saudi Arabia workers earn at common monthly wages, using the hourly-wage overtime Saudi formula (monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ 8 × 1.5):
| Monthly wage | Hourly wage | Overtime rate (1.5x) | 10 OT hours | 20 OT hours | 30 OT hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAR 4,000 | 16.67 | 25.00 | 250 | 500 | 750 |
| SAR 6,000 | 25.00 | 37.50 | 375 | 750 | 1,125 |
| SAR 8,000 | 33.33 | 50.00 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| SAR 10,000 | 41.67 | 62.50 | 625 | 1,250 | 1,875 |
Because the rate is flat at 1.5x, overtime pay Saudi Arabia workers earn scales in a straight line with hours. Compare this with how gratuity grows with years of service in Saudi Arabia.
Overtime on weekly rest days, nights and public holidays
Not all overtime is equal — Saudi labour law overtime rules give extra protection on rest days and holidays:
- Weekly rest day: if you work your Friday (the usual rest day), you get a compensatory day off plus overtime pay at 1.5x (Article 106).
- Official holidays: work on Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha or Saudi National Day is paid at the overtime rate.
- Night hours: extra night hours beyond the limits are priced at the same 1.5x overtime rate.
If your contract lists different official holidays, keep the payslip showing the 1.5x line — it's the proof the holiday was paid as overtime. Unused leave is a separate entitlement: see unused leave encashment in Saudi Arabia.
The 12-hour day rule you should know
Article 101 puts a hard ceiling on overtime: your actual working hours plus overtime may not exceed 12 hours in a single day. An employer cannot legally keep you for a 14-hour shift even if they promise to pay for it.
In practice: on an 8-hour day you can work at most 4 overtime hours; in Ramadan (6-hour day) at most 6 overtime hours. If your roster regularly crosses the 12-hour line, the extra time is unlawful — not just unpaid. Document the hours with payslips or attendance records.
Can your employer ask you to work overtime in Saudi Arabia?
Yes — Article 106 allows the employer to require overtime when the business needs it. But the right to ask comes with a duty to pay: overtime pay Saudi Arabia rules require the 1.5x rate for every overtime hour, and the 12-hour day cap still applies.
Overtime cannot be a substitute for hiring. If "temporary" overtime has run for months, ask for it in writing — a written overtime record makes claims much easier. And when your employment ends, unpaid overtime goes into the final settlement alongside gratuity and leave: see gratuity after 5 years in Saudi Arabia and notice period in Saudi Arabia.
4 ways employers underpay overtime — watch out
- Paying only 1x instead of 1.5x. The most common trick: the payslip shows extra hours at the normal rate. Overtime pay Saudi Arabia law is hourly wage plus 50%.
- Ignoring the weekly cap. Days at 8 hours look fine, but the week passing 48 hours still counts as overtime.
- Unpaid Eid and National Day work. Holiday shifts are owed the overtime rate — check the holiday line on your payslip.
- Claiming domestic staff rules apply to you. Domestic workers are under separate regulations, but if you're a company employee, the full Labour Law overtime rules protect you.
Overtime pay Saudi Arabia: your 5-minute action checklist
- Write down your monthly wage and your actual hours — overtime pay Saudi Arabia math starts from (wage ÷ 30 ÷ 8) × 1.5.
- Check your payslip: is every hour past 8 a day priced at 1.5x, not 1x?
- Count your weekly total — anything past 48 hours is overtime too.
- Never cross 12 hours in a day — that extra time is unlawful, not just unpaid.
- Before signing a final settlement, make sure unpaid overtime is listed separately from gratuity and leave — run the overtime calculator for Saudi Arabia first so you know your number.
Related guides
- How gratuity is calculated in Saudi Arabia
- Notice period in Saudi Arabia
- Unused leave encashment in Saudi Arabia
- Saudi gratuity calculator
Frequently asked questions
What is the overtime rate in Saudi Arabia?
The overtime rate in Saudi Arabia is 1.5 times your normal hourly wage (hourly wage plus 50%). Article 107 of the Saudi Labour Law fixes this rate for all hours beyond the daily (8 hours) or weekly (48 hours) limits. Your hourly wage is your monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ 8 — so on SAR 6,000 the overtime rate is SAR 37.50 per hour.
How is overtime pay calculated in Saudi Arabia?
Overtime pay in Saudi Arabia = (monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ 8) × 1.5 × overtime hours. Example: SAR 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = SAR 25 hourly wage; × 1.5 = SAR 37.50 overtime rate; 20 overtime hours = SAR 750. Night and holiday overtime use the same 1.5x rate.
What are the normal working hours in Saudi Arabia?
Normal working hours in Saudi Arabia are 8 hours per day and 48 hours per week (Article 98). During Ramadan, Muslim workers work 6 hours per day and 36 hours per week. Hours beyond these limits are overtime at 1.5x, and your total day including overtime may not exceed 12 hours (Article 101).
Is overtime paid on Eid holidays in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Work on official holidays — Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Saudi National Day — is paid at the overtime rate of 1.5x your hourly wage. Work on your weekly rest day also earns overtime pay plus a compensatory day off under Article 106.
Can my employer force me to work overtime in Saudi Arabia?
Yes, when the business needs it (Article 106) — but every overtime hour must be paid at the 1.5x overtime pay Saudi Arabia rate, and your total working hours may not exceed 12 hours in a day. Domestic workers fall under separate regulations, not these overtime rules.
Work out your own amount
Enter your dates and salary to see your end-of-service pay instantly.
More questions
- Resign before 2 years: do you get gratuity?
- Is housing allowance included in gratuity?
- Company not paying gratuity? What to do
- How is unused leave paid?
Sources
This guide is based on the Saudi Labor Law (Royal Decree No. M/51). Labour laws are amended from time to time; for the latest version, always check the official gazette of Saudi Arabia.
