Worker guide · 8 min read · updated Nov 2026

Reading a Gulf job offer: salary, allowances, gratuity and leave explained

Two offers can both say "SAR 2,500" and be worth very different amounts. In the Gulf, the way a salary is split between basic pay and allowances decides your overtime rate, your end-of-service gratuity and sometimes your annual leave pay. Before you accept any offer – direct hire or through a manpower supply company – check the points below.

1. Basic salary vs. total package

Many offers quote a total monthly figure. Ask for the breakdown:

• Basic salary – the fixed part. Gratuity and overtime are normally calculated on this figure, so a higher basic is better for you even if the total is the same.
• Housing / accommodation – either company accommodation (a camp or shared flat) or a cash allowance.
• Food – free mess, or a food allowance. In Qatar, for example, the minimum wage is QAR 1,000 basic, plus at least QAR 300 for food and QAR 500 for housing when the employer does not provide them.
• Transport – company bus to site, or a transport allowance.

Example: "QAR 1,800 + food + accommodation" means you receive QAR 1,800 cash and the employer provides meals and a bed. "QAR 1,800 all-inclusive" means you pay for food and housing yourself.

2. Working hours and overtime

Gulf labour laws generally set a standard working week of around 48 hours (8 hours a day, 6 days a week), with shorter hours during Ramadan for Muslim workers in several countries. Hours beyond the standard are overtime and are usually paid at a premium – check the offer says how overtime is paid and at what rate. On shutdown and turnaround jobs, a 10–12 hour day is common, so overtime can be a large part of your earnings.

3. End-of-service gratuity

When your contract ends, Gulf labour laws entitle eligible workers to an end-of-service benefit based on basic salary and years of service:

• Saudi Arabia: half a month's wage for each of the first five years, and one month's wage for each year after that (reduced if you resign early).
• UAE (private sector): 21 days' basic salary for each of the first five years, and 30 days for each additional year, after at least one year of service.
• Qatar: at least three weeks' basic wage for each year of service after one year.

Short contracts through manpower suppliers may not reach the one-year mark, so ask how gratuity is handled on project-based contracts.

4. Annual leave and air ticket

Most skilled-trade contracts give 21–30 days of paid annual leave per year, often taken at the end of a 2-year contract together with a return air ticket. Check whether the ticket is every year or every two years, and whether it is for you only or also for family (rare for blue-collar roles).

5. Contract type

• Direct hire – you are employed by the company running the project or plant. Usually more stable.
• Manpower supply / rental – you are employed by a supply company and sent to client sites. Pay is often hourly. Ask who holds your visa and who pays you.
• Shutdown / short-term – 1–3 months on a specific plant turnaround. See our shutdown jobs guide.

6. Other points to confirm in writing

• Probation period length (often 90 days, extendable in some countries).
• Medical insurance – mandatory for private-sector workers in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
• Who keeps your passport. In GCC countries, employers are not allowed to confiscate a worker's passport.
• Salary payment method – the Gulf Wage Protection Systems require salaries to be paid through banks or exchange houses.
• Trade test or skills verification needed before the visa – see our skills verification guide.

Labour laws change. Always check the current rules on the official labour ministry website of the country you are going to (HRSD in Saudi Arabia, MOHRE in the UAE, the Ministry of Labour in Qatar) before signing.