Saudi Overtime Pay Calculator
Enter your basic salary, fixed allowances and overtime hours to see your overtime hourly rate and the amount owed.
Calculate your overtime pay
The overtime formula
Overtime hourly rate = actual hourly wage + 50% of the basic hourly wage, where the actual wage is basic salary plus fixed allowances, and each hourly wage is the monthly figure ÷ 30 ÷ 8.
Example (the ministry's own): basic SAR 4,000 and allowances SAR 2,000 (actual wage SAR 6,000).
Actual hourly wage = 6,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = SAR 25. Basic hourly wage = 4,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = SAR 16.67, and half of it is SAR 8.33.
Overtime rate = SAR 33.33 an hour; 3 hours = SAR 100.
A common mistake is to pay 1.5 × the basic hourly wage. On a basic salary of SAR 10,000 with SAR 4,000 of allowances and 20 overtime hours, the correct formula gives 58.33 + 20.83 = SAR 79.17 an hour, or SAR 1,583.33, while 1.5 × basic gives only SAR 1,250.
What counts as overtime
- Hours beyond 8 a day, or beyond 48 a week where the weekly standard is used.
- All hours worked on rest days and public holidays.
- In Ramadan: hours beyond 6 a day or 36 a week for Muslim workers.
Time off in lieu
Since 2025, with your consent, the employer may give paid compensatory leave instead of pay: at least 1.5 hours off for each overtime hour, used within 60 days, up to 30 days a year. Compare with the UAE method, which pays overtime on basic salary alone plus 25% or 50%. Prefer Arabic? Use the Arabic version.
Frequently asked questions
How is overtime calculated in Saudi Arabia?
Under the Ministry of Human Resources formula: the actual hourly wage (actual wage ÷ 30 ÷ 8) plus 50% of the basic hourly wage (basic ÷ 30 ÷ 8). The ministry's example: basic SAR 4,000 and actual wage SAR 6,000 give 25 + 8.33 = SAR 33.33 an hour.
Can I take time off instead of overtime pay?
Yes, since Article 107 was amended in 2025 and with the employee's consent: paid compensatory leave of at least an hour and a half for each overtime hour, to be used within 60 days unless agreed otherwise, and no more than 30 days a year.
What is the maximum overtime?
720 hours a year under the executive regulations, which may be exceeded with the employee's consent.
Is work on holidays overtime?
Yes. All hours worked on holidays and Eid days count as overtime (Article 107).
What are working hours in Ramadan?
For Muslim workers, 6 hours a day or 36 hours a week (Article 98). Hours beyond that are usually treated as overtime; no official source sets the hourly divisor during Ramadan.
Why is the result different from 1.5 × the hourly wage?
Because the law sets overtime pay as the hourly wage — based on the actual wage including allowances — plus 50% of the basic wage. Multiplying the basic hourly wage alone by 1.5 ignores allowances and gives a lower amount.
Sources
- Umm Al-Qura — Labour Law amendments by Royal Decree M/44, Article 107 (Arabic)
- Ministry of Human Resources — article on overtime hours, 2025 (Arabic)
- Ministry of Human Resources — guide to the rights and duties of employers and workers, 2025 (Arabic)
- Clyde & Co — Saudi Labour Law amendments: leave entitlements (April 2025)
Figures and formulas on this page were last reviewed on 2026-11-03.