Plain language explanations of how gratuity works in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain, including the UAE's free zones. Each guide cites the labour law article behind every rule and works through real examples, so you can check your own figures before you speak to HR.
The formula, the resignation reductions, the exceptions that restore the full award, and when it must be paid.
The 21 and 30 day rates, the two year cap, why only basic salary counts, and what changed in 2022.
The DIFC DEWS savings plan, the ADGM rules in force since April 2025, and why JAFZA and DMCC follow the federal law.
Three weeks of basic wage per year, the one year minimum, and why resigning doesn't cost you anything.
Article 116's formula, and how the March 2024 reform splits your gratuity between your employer and SIO.
Basic salary or total pay, which allowances count in each country, and how a late pay rise changes everything.
Months and days are paid in proportion, but minimum service rules and rate steps change the result.
Which leave reduces your service period, which is protected, and where the law is explicit versus a general principle.
Whether probation counts toward service once you are confirmed, and what happens if you leave during it.
Whether the notice period counts as service, pay in lieu of notice, garden leave and your real end date.
Only in Saudi Arabia. The same example worked through all four countries shows how much the difference can be.
How Article 87 restores the full award within six months of marriage or three months of giving birth.
When dismissal for misconduct costs you the gratuity, and when it doesn't, country by country.
Contract renewals, group transfers and company sales, and whether your service keeps running.
Ten checks to make before signing your final settlement, from the wage used to unused leave.
Payment deadlines, where to complain in each country, and the time limits you can't afford to miss.
How India, the UK, Pakistan and the Philippines treat a Gulf gratuity, and why the payment date matters.
How pensions replace or sit alongside gratuity for Saudi, Emirati, Qatari and Bahraini nationals.
Separate laws for housemaids, drivers and nannies: rates, minimum service and who pays.
Why death is treated as a full entitlement, who receives it, and what the family should ask the employer for.
Checked against the published labour law text for each country. Where the law is unclear or interpretations differ, we say so. Last verified 15 October 2026.