Working Hours and Overtime in Oman: Labour Law Rules, Ramadan and Rest Days

Under Oman Labour Law, the general limit for actual working time is eight hours per day and forty hours per week. Overtime is regulated separately, with different minimum premiums for daytime work, night work, weekly rest days, public holidays and certain exceptional cases where overtime may be required without the employee's consent.

The current framework is based on Labour Law issued by Royal Decree 53/2023. For employers and employees, the key distinction is between actual working hours, rest periods and overtime rather than simply counting the total time a person remains at the workplace.

At a glance

• Normal actual working time: up to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week.
• A daily one-hour meal and rest period is excluded from actual working hours.
• Continuous work should generally not exceed 6 hours without a break.
• Muslim employees during Ramadan: up to 6 hours per day or 30 hours per week.
• Ordinary overtime premiums: at least 25% for daytime and 50% for night hours, calculated on basic wage.
• Employees are generally entitled to at least 2 consecutive paid weekly rest days.

What are the legal working hours in Oman?

The standard statutory ceiling is eight actual working hours per day and forty hours per week. A separate one-hour period for meals and rest is not counted as actual working time.

Article 70 of the official Labour Law sets these limits and also provides that an employee should not ordinarily work for more than six continuous hours without a break. The distinction matters when an employment schedule shows nine hours at the workplace but includes an excluded rest period.

Some work may be subject to special rules because of its nature, and the law permits ministerial decisions for particular categories. Employers should therefore avoid treating a sector-specific exception as a general entitlement to extend working hours.

Who is covered by these rules?

The Labour Law generally governs employers and employees in Oman unless their employment is regulated by a separate law or special system. It also allows specific rules to be issued for categories of work with particular operational requirements.

Article 73 permits different treatment for seasonal work and sectors designated and regulated by ministerial decision. The available official sources do not provide one consolidated current list covering every sectoral exception, so any employer relying on an exception should verify the decision applicable to that activity.

How should overtime be handled?

Ordinary overtime generally requires the employee's consent, and total normal plus overtime hours under Article 71 must not exceed twelve hours in a day. Employers should also maintain a clear schedule showing normal work, breaks and weekly rest.