End of service in the Gulf, country by country
Every Gulf state pays a worker an award at the end of service, and each one works it out differently. This guide sets the six rules side by side, read from the same rule files the calculators apply, and says what each difference means for the figure you are owed.
This guide was last reviewed on 24 September 2026
What all six have in common
In every country the award grows with the years you served and is worked out from your last wage, not an average. It is owed on top of any wages, leave balance and notice pay still due, which are separate lines in a final settlement. And a contract may promise more than the law does, which no calculator can see.
Four things that differ
The wage it is worked out on. Some countries use your basic wage alone, others the full wage with allowances. Where allowances are a large part of your pay, that choice on its own moves the award a long way.
The rate. Most countries pay a smaller amount for each of the first years and a larger one after, and the table shows where each country's step falls.
Resigning. In some countries leaving of your own accord reduces the award for shorter service; in others it changes nothing. The resignation column says which applies where.
Ceilings and qualifying periods. Some laws cap the award, and some pay nothing until you have served a minimum time. Both are shown in each country's row.
The six rules side by side
| Country | Wage basis | Rate | On resignation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Saudi ArabiaSaudi Labor Law, Article 84: end-of-service award | Basic plus fixed allowances | half a month's wage for the first 5 years, then a month's wage | Reduced by length of service | End-of-service gratuity, Saudi Arabia |
 UAEUAE Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021, Article 51: end-of-service benefits | Basic wage only | 21 days of wage for the first 5 years, then 30 days of wage, capped at 24 months of wage, from 1 year of service | No reduction | End-of-service gratuity, UAE |
 QatarQatar Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, Article 54: end-of-service gratuity | Basic wage only | 21 days of wage for every year, from 1 year of service | No reduction | End-of-service gratuity, Qatar |
 KuwaitKuwait Labour Law No. 6 of 2010, Article 51: end-of-service indemnity | Basic plus fixed allowances | half a month's wage for the first 5 years, then a month's wage, capped at 18 months of wage | Reduced by length of service | End-of-service indemnity, Kuwait |
 OmanOman Labour Law, Article 61: end-of-service gratuity | Basic wage only | a month's wage for every year, the rule in force now | No reduction | End-of-service gratuity, Oman |
 BahrainBahrain Labour Law, Article 116: leaving indemnity | Basic wage only | half a month's wage for the first 3 years, then a month's wage | No reduction | Leaving indemnity, Bahrain |
Before you rely on a figure
The table states each country's general rule for workers under its labour law. Domestic workers fall under separate laws in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait, which have pages of their own, and for the UAE no instrument setting their rate has been found yet. Contracts, unpaid leave and disputes can all change what is owed, so work out your own figure in your country's calculator, which shows its arithmetic and the article it applies.