Gulf Notice Period
Calculator
Know your exact last working day, legally required notice, and what happens if either side skips it — free, instant, no sign-up.
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Labour laws change — verify with your HR department or a qualified Gulf employment lawyer before acting.
Gulf Notice Period Calculator — How to Use It
This free Gulf notice period calculator gives you your legally required notice in seconds. Select your country (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, or Oman), enter your contract type, employment start date, and the date you plan to hand in your resignation or receive termination notice. The calculator applies the correct labour law for that country, accounts for probation, contract type, and reason for leaving, then tells you your last working day and what happens if notice is not served.
No sign-up is required. Results are based on official labour legislation and updated to reflect the latest amendments, including UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Saudi Arabia’s Royal Decree M/51, Qatar Labour Law No. 18 of 2020, Bahrain Law No. 36 of 2012, and Oman Royal Decree No. 53/2023.
Notice Period Rules by Country — Quick Reference
Each Gulf country sets its own minimum notice periods under national labour law. The table below shows the statutory minimums. Your contract may specify a longer period — and that longer period will apply, up to the legal maximum.
| Country | Open-Ended Contract | Probation Notice | Legal Max | Governing Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇪 UAE | 30 days minimum | 14 days | 90 days | Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 60 days | None required | 60 days | Royal Decree M/51 (amended 2021) |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | 30–90 days by service | None required | 90 days | Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 (as amended) |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 30–60 days by service | 7 days | 90 days | Law No. 36 of 2012 |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | 30 days | None required | 30 days | Royal Decree No. 53/2023 |
🇦🇪 UAE Notice Period
- Minimum 30 days, maximum 90 days
- Probation notice: 14 days written
- Same period must apply to employer and employee
- Fixed-term contracts have no statutory notice — compensation applies for early exit
- Gross misconduct under Article 44 = immediate dismissal
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Notice Period
- Open-ended contracts: 60 days minimum
- Probation (up to 90 days): no notice required
- Fixed-term: early employee exit = half remaining wages
- Early employer dismissal = full remaining wages
- Article 80 permits instant dismissal for gross misconduct
🇶🇦 Qatar Notice Period
- Under 2 years service: 30 days
- 2–5 years: 60 days
- Over 5 years: 90 days
- Probation (max 90 days): no notice required
- Article 61 allows instant dismissal for serious misconduct
🇧🇭 Bahrain Notice Period
- Under 3 years service: 30 days
- 3+ years service: 60 days
- Probation notice: 7 days written
- Fixed-term: compensation = unexpired contract wages
- Article 107 permits instant dismissal for misconduct
🇴🇲 Oman Notice Period
- Open-ended contracts: 30 days for both parties
- Oman’s 2023 Labour Law (Royal Decree 53/2023) modernised resignation and termination rules
- Probation (max 90 days): no notice required
- Fixed-term early exit: compensation of 45 days’ wages per year of service, or remaining contract period (whichever is lower)
What Is a Notice Period?
A notice period is the legally required gap between the date an employee or employer delivers written notice of termination and the employee’s actual last working day. It is not a courtesy — in the Gulf, it is a statutory obligation enforceable under national labour law.
The notice period serves two practical purposes. For the employee, it guarantees continued salary and benefits through to the last working day, and provides time to finalise handover, collect a service certificate, and make visa arrangements. For the employer, it provides time to recruit a replacement and arrange a proper transition of responsibilities.
Under all five Gulf labour laws covered by this calculator, salary must be paid in full throughout the notice period — the employment contract remains legally in force until the last day.
Fixed-Term vs Open-Ended Contracts
The type of employment contract significantly affects your notice period obligations across the Gulf.
Open-Ended (Unlimited) Contracts
Open-ended contracts have no predetermined end date. When either party wants to end the relationship, they must give written notice equal to the period required by law or by the contract, whichever is longer. These are the most common contract type in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. In the UAE, all contracts were converted to fixed-term under the 2021 Labour Law reforms.
Fixed-Term (Limited) Contracts
Fixed-term contracts are set for a specific duration and expire automatically at the end date. No notice is required to let the contract expire — but leaving early is a different matter. If an employee resigns before the end date without valid grounds, they may owe the employer compensation. If the employer terminates without cause before the end date, they owe the employee compensation. The amounts vary by country and are calculated by this tool automatically.
What Happens If You Don’t Serve Your Notice Period?
Skipping notice has real financial and legal consequences in every Gulf country.
For Employees
If you resign without serving notice, your employer can legally deduct the equivalent number of days’ salary from your final settlement. In the UAE, walking off the job without notice can also result in a work ban of up to one year, which would prevent future employment in the country. In all Gulf states, abandoning employment without notice can complicate your visa and residency status.
For Employers
Employers who terminate without serving notice — or without paying compensation in lieu of notice — are in breach of labour law. The employee can file a complaint with the relevant Ministry of Labour, and the employer may be ordered to pay the equivalent of the full notice period as a lump sum, plus potential additional compensation. Written, dated notice is essential for employers to protect themselves in any future dispute.
Salary During the Notice Period
All five Gulf labour laws require the employer to continue paying full salary and maintaining all contractual benefits (health insurance, accommodation allowance, transport allowance, etc.) throughout the notice period. The only exception is in cases of gross misconduct where immediate dismissal applies — in that scenario, notice is waived and the employer is entitled to dismiss without payment in lieu.
If your employer asks you to leave before your notice period ends but does not want to pay you through the full period, they must formally pay you compensation in lieu of notice — a lump sum equal to the salary you would have earned during the remaining notice days.
End-of-Service Gratuity (EOSB) and Notice Period
Your notice period and your End-of-Service Gratuity (EOSB) are separate entitlements — but they are both part of your final settlement. Most Gulf countries require a minimum of one year of continuous service before EOSB becomes payable. If you are dismissed for gross misconduct, you generally forfeit your EOSB entitlement.
This calculator flags whether you are likely eligible for EOSB based on your service length and the reason for leaving. Use a dedicated EOSB calculator to estimate your exact gratuity payment.
Notice Period During Probation
Probation notice periods are shorter than the standard rules and exist to allow both sides to exit the relationship quickly if the role is not a good fit. Key facts:
- UAE: 14 days written notice from either party during the maximum 180-day probation period
- Saudi Arabia: No notice required during probation (maximum 90 days, extendable to 180 by mutual agreement)
- Qatar: No notice required during probation (maximum 90 days)
- Bahrain: 7 days written notice during probation (maximum 90 days)
- Oman: No notice required during probation (maximum 90 days)
Toggle the probation switch on this calculator to see the correct notice period for your situation.
How to Resign Properly in the Gulf — Step by Step
A clean resignation protects your final settlement, your service certificate, and your ability to work legally in the country. Follow these steps:
- Use this calculator first. Know your exact notice period before submitting anything.
- Write a formal resignation letter. Date it, state the notice period you are serving, and include your expected last working day. Keep it professional and brief.
- Deliver it in two ways. Email it to your line manager and HR, and hand a signed hard copy to HR. This creates a delivery record that is legally important if the date is ever disputed.
- Request written acknowledgement. Ask HR to confirm in writing the receipt of your resignation and your final working day. Do not assume verbal confirmation is enough.
- Track your notice period dates. Your last working day is a fixed legal date from the moment notice is delivered. Do not leave earlier without written mutual agreement.
- Begin your handover early. Document your responsibilities, ongoing projects, and access credentials. A clean handover protects you from post-resignation disputes about damage or missing work.
- Request your service certificate (experience letter) before your last day. This is your proof of employment and required for future job applications in the region.
- Confirm visa and residency cancellation timelines. Most Gulf countries allow 30 days after employment ends to transfer sponsorship or exit. Check your specific country’s rules with your PRO or HR.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically yes, but there are serious consequences. If you leave before serving your full notice period, your employer can legally deduct the equivalent number of days’ salary from your final settlement. More seriously, the employer can file a complaint with MOHRE that could result in a work ban of up to one year, preventing you from taking new employment in the UAE. The safest route is to negotiate a mutual written agreement if you want to leave before your notice expires — this protects both parties and avoids any ban risk.
The notice period starts on the day written notice is delivered and received — not the day it is sent, not the day the employer opens the email, and not the day verbal discussions begin. To protect yourself, always send your resignation letter simultaneously by email (creating a timestamp) and deliver a signed hard copy to HR. In the UAE specifically, resignation by email is legally acceptable as long as delivery can be proven. This calculator uses the “Notice Served / Resignation Date” you enter as the start date.
Under UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 (the current Labour Law), the notice period for resignation is a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 90 days, as agreed in your employment contract. If your contract does not specify a notice period, 30 days applies as the default. During the probation period (maximum 180 days), either party may terminate with just 14 days’ written notice. Note: the UAE now has only one contract type (fixed-term), and all contracts must comply with the same notice rules.
Yes — but only if they pay you in lieu of notice. An employer can ask you to stop coming in on day one of your notice period, but they remain legally obligated to pay your full salary through to your contractual last working day. If they refuse to pay you for the unserved portion, that is a violation of labour law and you can file a complaint with the relevant Ministry of Labour. Always get any arrangement to shorten your notice period in writing before agreeing to it.
Only if both parties agree in writing. By default, you cannot offset annual leave against your notice period — you must serve the notice in full, and any unused annual leave balance is paid out separately in your final settlement. Some employers will agree to let you take remaining leave during the notice period, effectively paying you out at the end. If your employer proposes this, get the specific dates and the confirmation of your last working day in writing before agreeing.
Qatar’s notice period for resignation scales with your length of service under Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 as amended. If you have served under 2 years, the minimum notice is 30 days. Between 2 and 5 years of service, 60 days applies. Over 5 years, the notice period is 90 days. These minimums apply equally to employer-initiated terminations. During a probation period of up to 90 days, no notice is required. Since the removal of the No Objection Certificate requirement, employees can switch employers more freely — but must still honour their contractual notice period.
EOSB stands for End-of-Service Benefit, also called gratuity or end-of-service gratuity. It is a mandatory lump-sum payment made to employees when their employment ends, calculated based on final basic salary and total years of service. In most Gulf countries, you become eligible after completing at least one full year of continuous service. Gross misconduct dismissal typically forfeits EOSB entitlement. The exact calculation formula varies by country. This calculator flags your EOSB eligibility — use an EOSB calculator for the precise amount.
For open-ended (unlimited) employment contracts in Saudi Arabia, the minimum notice period is 60 days. This applies to both voluntary resignation and employer-initiated termination without cause. During the probation period — which can be up to 90 days and extended to 180 days by mutual written agreement — no notice is required from either side. For fixed-term contracts, no notice is required to let the contract expire; however, if an employee resigns early, they may owe compensation equal to half of the remaining contract wages, and if the employer dismisses early without cause, they owe the full remaining contract wages.
About This Calculator
This Gulf Notice Period Calculator was built to give employees and HR professionals across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman a fast, accurate, and legally grounded answer to one of the most common questions in Gulf employment: exactly when is my last day?
The calculator reflects the laws currently in force and is updated when major amendments are enacted. It covers open-ended and fixed-term contracts, probation periods, gross misconduct scenarios, and calculates both employer and employee perspectives. Results include the exact last working day, a visual timeline, legal reference text, salary and EOSB implications, and a leaving checklist.
This tool is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Labour laws are amended periodically. For individual legal advice on your specific situation, consult a qualified Gulf employment lawyer or your HR department.