Working Hours in Saudi Arabia
Working hours in Saudi Arabia
Working hours in Saudi Arabia are almost the same as main other countries. In KSA, the standard workweek varies between 40 and 48 hours, making it 8 hours per day, depending on the company’s policies.
Legally, the workday length during Ramadan is reduced to six hours, although many employers only implement this for Muslims who observe the fast during the day. The time is the same for summers and winters.
Related: How to calculate ESB in KSA
Work Hours’ Timing in Saudi Arabia
The office is open from 7:30 am to 8:00 am until lunch, then from 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm till 8:00 pm. Even so, some offices might shut down at 6 o’clock. Remember that regular banking hours are 8 am until lunch, 5 pm until 8 pm and that most government agencies are open from 7.30 am to 2.30 pm. The worker is allowed a 30-minute break per working hour, and no more than 5 hours of nonstop work may be required. Working hours should never exceed 12 hours every day.
The five times of prayer each day, as well as Islamic holidays, must be observed. Working hours for “intermittent work” positions cannot exceed 10 hours daily. During Ramadan, this is decreased to eight hours per day. No one is allowed to work more than 12 hours daily, including security guards and cleaning staff. During Ramadan, this is limited to ten hours each day.
According to labor law, overtime pay equals 150% of the hourly rate.
Off day in Saudi Arabia
If your firm works five days per week, your other day off would have likely been either Saturday or Thursday. Friday is the Muslim day of rest. Saudi Arabia presently has a Sunday through Thursday work week, with Friday and Saturday being the country’s official weekends. Since taking Thursday off would reduce the number of working days shared with most of the world, Saturday was previously the more usual alternative for international businesses.
As the school “weekend” is on Thursday and Friday, some businesses insisted on Thursday. The government decided to make Saturday the second day off to prevent enterprises from losing out on Thursday-related commercial possibilities, particularly those involving international trade.
The official weekend in Saudi Arabia will now be on Fridays and Saturdays, keeping the country’s working week more in line with that of other nations. Most of the businesses in KSA were hoping for this change.
In Saudi Arabia, the number of hours performed more than the regular workday determines how much overtime is paid. The computation is made by dividing the extra hours worked by the hourly rate. The overtime payment is then calculated by multiplying the sum by 1.5.