Most disputes between Saudi employers and workers recruited from India are not about the headline wage. They are about hours: how long a shift is, how overtime is counted, whether Friday work is paid, what happens in Ramadan. The Saudi Labour Law sets clear rules, and the attested contract signed in India repeats many of them. Getting the hours framework right before a crew arrives prevents most later grievances.
Normal Working Hours
The Labour Law sets normal working hours at a maximum of eight hours a day or 48 hours a week, and allows averaging over a longer period in certain activities. Workers must receive breaks so that they do not work more than five consecutive hours without one, and break time is generally not counted as working time. The law was amended with effect from 2025, changing several details, so check the current text for details such as averaging and sector-specific rules.
Ramadan Hours
During Ramadan, normal working hours for Muslim workers are reduced to a maximum of six hours a day or 36 hours a week. Non-Muslim workers work normal hours unless the employer decides otherwise. Many employers move shifts to the evening and night during the month, especially on outdoor sites, and contractors should plan programmes around the reduced output rather than discovering it in the first week of the month.
Overtime
Work beyond normal hours is overtime. The law requires the employer to pay the hourly wage plus an additional 50 percent of the basic wage for each overtime hour. Because the premium is calculated on the basic wage, contracts that put most of the pay into allowances can create disputes about the rate; it is clearer to state the overtime rate per hour in the contract. Overtime must be recorded and workers should be able to see their hours. Gaps between site timesheets and payroll surface in the wage protection system. Regulations also cap total overtime over a year, so heavy overtime should be planned rather than assumed.
Weekly Rest Day
Friday is the standard weekly rest day, although employers may set another day for some workers. Work on the rest day is compensated as overtime. On projects that run seven days a week, rotating rest days within the crew keeps the site working without denying anyone their day off.
Public Holidays
Workers are entitled to paid holidays for Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and National Day, with Founding Day added in recent years, among the official holidays set by regulation. Work on those days is compensated. Check each year's announced dates, since the Eid holidays follow the lunar calendar.
Annual Leave
Annual leave under the Labour Law is at least 21 days, rising to 30 days after five consecutive years with the employer. Many attested contracts for Indian workers provide 30 days after each completed year with a return ticket, which is more generous than the minimum, and the contract governs where it is better for the worker. Leave must actually be taken rather than deferred indefinitely, and unused leave is paid out at contract end.
Shift Patterns That Work
- Construction — six days of eight hours plus planned overtime, early starts in summer, Friday rest
- Industrial maintenance — longer rotating shifts during shutdowns, with excess hours paid as overtime, rest days enforced and the annual overtime cap respected
- Warehouses and factories — three eight-hour shifts with rotating rest days
- Hospitality and FM — split shifts in hotels, supported by careful records
Writing It Into the Contract
The model contract attested by the Embassy of India covers basic wage, hours and overtime. Make sure the Qiwa contract says the same thing, that the overtime rate is stated, and that the expected overtime volume is described honestly at selection. Indian workers often accept a Gulf job on the basis of total monthly earnings including overtime; if the overtime disappears, the job becomes less attractive and transfer requests follow.
Summer Restrictions
During the summer months the midday outdoor work ban changes the shape of the working day for outdoor crews. Our midday work ban guide explains how employers reschedule without exceeding legal hours.
Briefing Crews
At induction we recommend a short session covering hours, overtime calculation, rest days, Ramadan hours and leave, using the worker's own payslip as the example. Workers who understand how their pay is calculated raise fewer complaints, and supervisors who understand the rules make fewer promises the payroll cannot keep. See the Saudi Arabia hiring page for how induction fits into deployment, and our Ramadan and Hajj planning guide for seasonal rostering.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is overtime paid under Saudi Labour Law?
Each overtime hour is paid at the hourly wage plus an additional 50 percent of the basic wage. Stating the hourly overtime rate in the contract avoids disputes.
Do non-Muslim workers get reduced hours in Ramadan?
The statutory reduction to six hours a day applies to Muslim workers. Non-Muslim workers work normal hours unless the employer decides otherwise.
