UAE Announces Ramadan Timings

Private sector companies in the UAE will need to reduce their working hours from eight to a maximum of six per day during the forthcoming month of Ramadan, the Ministry of Labour has announced.

The reduction in timing will not affect the salaries of employees, official news agency WAM quoted the ministry as saying.

Labour Minister Saqr Gobash has issued a ministerial circular to private sector companies and establishments on the reduction of work hours in the country.

The government has also announced that the working hours of public sector employees at ministries and other federal institutions will be from 9am to 2pm during Ramadan. However, the directorates of residency and foreigners’ affairs across the country will work from 9am to 6pm to avoid customer congestion during the month, said the interior ministry.

Last week, the labour ministry issued a statement saying that an employee would be allowed to work overtime during Ramadan for a maximum of two hours per day, but has to be paid 25 per cent of his basic salary per day during the daytime and 50 per cent during nighttime duty.

The ministry also urged all employers to reduce the working hours as required, and warned that those caught violating the instructions would face heavy fines.