Construction wages rise almost 5% in Abu Dhabi

Data published yesterday by Statistics Centre-Abu Dhabi (Scad) found the average hourly wages of construction workers in the emirate rose 4.9 per cent from the start of June to last month. Philip CheuShow more

Construction workers in Abu Dhabi have seen their wages increase by almost 5 per cent since June even as the cost of building materials rose in the capital. Data published yesterday by Statistics Centre-Abu Dhabi (Scad) found the average hourly wages of construction workers in the emirate rose 4.9 per cent from the start of June to last month.

Labour costs for some workers rose higher than others. Electricians received some of the biggest boosts with an increase to their pay packets of 16.7 per cent. Drivers were given an 8 per cent rise.

Scad recorded monthly falls in 15 groups of building materials during last month compared with the same month last year.

The organisation, which was set up in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi Government to study the pace of development in the emirate, found that as well as the cost of labour increasing, developers were also suffering from spiralling inflation in building materials.

The price of aggregates and sand rose an average of 7.5 per cent from June to last month, while the cost of power cables increased 1.3 per cent and the cost of pipes was up 0.5 per cent last month.

However, the price of steel in the emirate during the period fell by an average 2.8 per cent and the cost of roofing materials fell by 4.4 per cent, ending six months of general price stability.

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