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Saudi overtime calculator
Overtime pay in Saudi Arabia worked out the way HRSD does it: the hourly actual wage plus 50% of the hourly basic wage, for every extra hour and every hour on Eid or an official holiday.
Overtime pay
The Saudi overtime formula (Article 107)
The law says the employer pays "the hourly wage plus 50% of the employee's basic wage" for each overtime hour. "Wage" in the Labor Law means the actual wage (Article 2): the basic wage plus allowances such as housing and transport. So two hourly figures are used:
- Hourly actual wage = actual monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ 8.
- Half the hourly basic wage = basic monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ 8 ÷ 2.
- Overtime rate = the two added together.
- Overtime pay = rate × overtime hours.
This is exactly how HRSD's 2025 awareness guide works it out: actual wage SAR 6,000, basic SAR 4,000, so 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = 25 and 4,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = 16.67. The rate is 25 + 8.33 = SAR 33.33 an hour, and 3 hours pay SAR 100.00.
Example with housing and transport
Basic SAR 3,000, housing SAR 750, transport SAR 300, so the actual wage is SAR 4,050. This month: 10 overtime hours on working days and 8 hours on Eid.
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly actual wage | 4,050 ÷ 240 | SAR 16.88 |
| Half the hourly basic | 3,000 ÷ 240 ÷ 2 | SAR 6.25 |
| Overtime rate | 16.875 + 6.25 | SAR 23.13 |
| 18 hours | 23.125 × 18 | SAR 416.25 |
Paid the common wrong way, 1.5 × the basic hourly wage, the same 18 hours come to SAR 337.50. The worker would be short SAR 78.75 this month.
Overtime rate per hour by wage
| Basic wage | Actual wage | Rate per hour | 10 hours | 20 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAR 2,000 | SAR 2,700 | SAR 15.42 | SAR 154.17 | SAR 308.33 |
| SAR 3,000 | SAR 4,050 | SAR 23.13 | SAR 231.25 | SAR 462.50 |
| SAR 4,000 | SAR 6,000 | SAR 33.33 | SAR 333.33 | SAR 666.67 |
| SAR 6,000 | SAR 8,500 | SAR 47.92 | SAR 479.17 | SAR 958.33 |
| SAR 10,000 | SAR 14,000 | SAR 79.17 | SAR 791.67 | SAR 1,583.33 |
Hours, holidays and Ramadan
| Rule | Limit | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Normal hours | 8 a day or 48 a week | Art. 98, HRSD guide 2025 |
| Ramadan, Muslim workers | 6 a day or 36 a week | Art. 98, HRSD guide 2025 |
| Hours on Eid and official holidays | All overtime | Art. 107(3) |
| Overtime in a year | 720 hours, more only with your consent | Implementing Regulations |
| Weekly rest day | Friday, unless another day is notified | Art. 104, HRSD guide 2025 |
In Ramadan a Muslim worker kept at 8 hours a day works 2 overtime hours a day. On the wage above, 20 such days are 40 hours × 23.125 = SAR 925.00.
New since 2025: leave instead of pay
The amendments in force on 19 February 2025 let the employer give paid compensatory leave instead of overtime pay, but only with your consent (Article 107). HRSD's guide sets at least 1.5 hours of leave for each overtime hour, to be used within 60 days unless agreed otherwise, and at most 30 days of such leave a year. So 10 overtime hours become at least 15 hours of paid leave.
Common mistakes
- Paying 1.5 × the basic hourly wage, which leaves out the allowances.
- Dividing by 26 days or 208 hours. HRSD divides by 30 and 8.
- Not counting hours on Eid or National Day as overtime.
- Claiming "double pay" on holidays. The law gives the same Article 107 rate.
Unpaid overtime is part of your Saudi final settlement when you leave. The rules in plain words: Saudi overtime pay rules. All rules for Saudi Arabia are on the Saudi page. Working in Oman or Qatar? Use the Oman overtime calculator or the Qatar overtime calculator.
Sources (checked October 2026): HRSD: awareness guide on the rights and duties of employers and workers (2025), HRSD: amendments to the Labor Law, before and after (2025), Saudi Labor Law (HRSD, English text), HRSD knowledge centre: overtime. Laws change, and the ministry or a court gives the final figure.
Questions
How is overtime calculated in Saudi Arabia?
Under Article 107 you get the hourly wage plus 50% of the hourly basic wage. HRSD works it out on the actual wage: actual ÷ 30 ÷ 8, plus half of basic ÷ 30 ÷ 8. With an actual wage of SAR 6,000 and a basic of SAR 4,000 that is 25 + 8.33 = SAR 33.33 an hour, so 3 hours pay SAR 100.00.
Is overtime in Saudi Arabia paid on basic or gross salary?
On both. The hour itself is paid on the actual wage (basic plus allowances), and the extra 50% is worked out on the basic wage only. Paying 1.5 × the basic hourly wage leaves out the allowances and pays too little.
What are the normal working hours in Saudi Arabia?
8 hours a day or 48 hours a week (Article 98, as the HRSD 2025 guide states it). In Ramadan, Muslim workers work 6 hours a day or 36 a week.
Is work on Eid or a public holiday overtime in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Article 107 counts all hours worked on holidays and official vacations as overtime. The Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holidays are 4 days each, and National Day and Founding Day are holidays too.
Can my employer give me leave instead of overtime pay?
Since 19 February 2025, yes, but only if you agree (Article 107). HRSD's guide says at least 1.5 hours of paid leave for each overtime hour, used within 60 days unless agreed otherwise, and at most 30 days a year.
How many overtime hours are allowed in Saudi Arabia?
720 hours a year, or more if you agree, under the Implementing Regulations as HRSD states them.
Is overtime in Ramadan paid in Saudi Arabia?
Yes. For Muslim workers the normal day in Ramadan is 6 hours, so hours above 6 a day are overtime at the same rate.
Why divide by 240?
The law counts a month as 30 days (Article 2) and a normal day as 8 hours, and HRSD's own example divides by 30 and 8. Some calculators divide by 26 days or 208 hours, which the law does not use.
Read the guide
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