Ramadan working hours in Saudi Arabia: the rule and how to roster it
In Ramadan, the Saudi Labour Law cuts actual working hours for Muslim workers to no more than 6 a day or 36 a week (Article 98). For a shift team, that changes shift lengths, headcount and the timing of every handover around iftar. Here is the rule as the official text puts it, and a practical way to roster the month. Where the law does not answer a question, we say "our reading". This is a general guide, not legal advice.
Checked against the official text on
The rule (Article 98)
Article 98 sets the normal limit at 8 actual hours a day under the daily standard, or 48 a week under the weekly standard. It then says that in Ramadan, actual working hours for Muslims are reduced so they do not exceed 6 hours a day or 36 hours a week.
The text names Muslims. Our reading: the reduction is owed to Muslim workers, and the article does not require it for others, although an employer can choose to give shorter Ramadan hours to everyone.
Breaks still apply (Articles 101 and 102)
Article 101 still applies in Ramadan: no more than 5 hours of work in a row without a break of at least 30 minutes for rest, prayer and food, and no more than 12 hours at the workplace in a day. Article 102 says those breaks are not counted as working hours.
Our reading: a 6-hour Ramadan shift is longer than 5 hours, so it still needs a break, and that break is not part of the 6 hours. Fasting staff may not eat, but the break is also for rest and prayer, and the article makes no exception for Ramadan.
Overtime in Ramadan (Articles 106 and 107)
Article 106 lists the only cases where the Article 98 limits can be exceeded, such as inventory, seasons, emergencies and unusual pressure of work, and caps them at 10 actual hours a day or 60 a week. It sets no separate Ramadan cap.
Our reading: hours worked beyond the Ramadan limit are overtime and are paid at the Article 107 rate, the hourly wage plus 50% of the basic wage. The law gives no separate Ramadan rate.
One more grey point: if the monthly wage stays the same while daily hours fall from 8 to 6, the hourly wage is higher in Ramadan. The law does not say how to turn a monthly wage into an hourly one, so this is our reading. The overtime calculator lets you enter 6 daily hours to see the difference.
Eid al-Fitr: holiday and overtime (Articles 107 and 112)
Article 112 gives every worker fully paid leave on the Eids and occasions set by the implementing regulation. Article 107(3) counts all hours worked on holidays and Eids as overtime. If your operation runs through Eid, decide early who works, and budget those hours at the overtime rate.
The number of Eid holiday days is set in the regulation, not in the law text we checked, so confirm the dates each year from the official announcement.
Rostering Ramadan: a practical plan
Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar, so last year's dates will not line up. Plan it as its own month:
- Rebuild shift lengths for the month: 6 working hours plus the break for Muslim staff, instead of 8.
- Recount the headcount. The same opening hours with shorter shifts need more shifts: 16 hours a day with 2 people on at a time is 32 hours to cover, which is 4 shifts of 8 hours but 6 shifts of 6 hours (5.3, rounded up).
- Apply the weekly limit as well as the daily one: six days of 6 hours is exactly 36.
- Keep handovers away from sunset, and share the iftar-time shifts fairly so the same people do not break their fast at work every night.
- Rotate the late and night shifts across the month, and keep a record of who did which so the split is visible.
- Plan Eid early: who works, who is off, and the overtime budget for anyone working on the holiday.
Doing it in Rosterna
Rosterna builds monthly rosters from your coverage needs, rest rules, fairness and staff preferences, and you can always edit by hand. The weekly hours limit, the minimum rest between shifts and the days off can be set for each staff group for a single month, so Ramadan can run on its own limits without changing the rest of the year. Split shifts, two parts in one day with a break between them, are supported too.
Sources
This is a general explanation, not legal advice. The official text is the reference and can change.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours do you work in Ramadan in Saudi Arabia?
For Muslim workers covered by the Labour Law, actual working hours in Ramadan may not exceed 6 a day or 36 a week (Article 98). Breaks for rest, prayer and food are not counted in those hours (Article 102).
Do the shorter Ramadan hours apply to non-Muslim staff?
Article 98 names Muslims, and it does not require the reduction for others. Our reading: an employer can still choose to give shorter hours to everyone.
Is the salary reduced in Ramadan?
Article 98 reduces working hours and says nothing about reducing wages. Our reading: the shorter hours are not a reason to cut the monthly wage. We have not checked this against the implementing regulation.
Is work beyond 6 hours in Ramadan overtime?
Our reading: yes. Hours beyond the Ramadan limit are overtime, paid at the Article 107 rate (hourly wage plus 50% of the basic wage), and they are only allowed in the cases Article 106 lists.
Is working on Eid paid as overtime?
Yes. Article 107(3) counts all hours worked on holidays and Eids as overtime, and Article 112 gives every worker fully paid leave on the Eids set by the regulation.
Let Rosterna build your next roster for you.