UAE salary guide 2022: how much should you be earning in Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
Check out the earning potential for jobseekers in sectors including banking, technology, oil and gas, sales, property, construction, accounting, human resources and office support
The jobs market in the UAE is continuing to recover in 2022 as business confidence and hiring activity return to pre-coronavirus levels, according to recruitment experts as we hit the mid-year mark.
At the beginning of the year, salaries were also expected to rise by an average of 3 per cent to 5 per cent depending on the sector (see slide show above), while bonuses have been predicted to make a comeback this year.
“Salaries certainly have increased year on year and are set to continue on this trajectory for 2022, with a proportionally higher number of salary rises likely to take place this year than in the past three years,” Sarah Dixon, managing director of Hays Middle East told The National in January.
“The most common increase is likely to be an uplift of up to 5 per cent.”
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in March 2020, the UAE has spent billions of dirhams in economic stimulus measures to support businesses.
Business activity in the UAE’s non-oil private sector improved to its strongest level in about two and a half years in November 2021, activity which was boosted by Expo 2020 Dubai, a rise in tourism and increased spending amid the post-pandemic economic recovery.
The UAE's IHS Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index climbed to 55.9 in November, from 55.7 in October, the highest reading since June 2019. A reading above 50 indicates economic expansion while anything below points to a contraction.
Employment levels also remained steady during the survey period and “further rises in demand and backlogs could support an increase in employment sooner rather than later”, IHS Markit economist David Owen said at the time.
With hiring on the increase, what is the salary and employment outlook for jobseekers this year? Read on to find out.
How much can Emiratis earn in Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Emiratisation salary guide 2022
Pay levels expected to increase across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other emirates
According to the Hays 2022 Salary Guide, which was released at the end of January, roughly 73 per cent of UAE employers expected their salaries in their organisations to increase by up to 5 per cent this year, compared with 37 per cent in 2021.
The trend in previous years has shown that most company-wide pay increases represent a rise of less than 5 per cent but this is unlikely to be sufficient to retain candidates who are looking for a job change for the rest of 2022 based on salary, Ms Dixon says.
However, the "sentiment is very positive in the UAE and surrounding Gulf region", she notes.
“We have seen business confidence and hiring activity increase back to pre-pandemic levels and beyond, with much optimism as we go into 2022.”
In November, a report by Mercer found that employers in the UAE were predicted to go on a hiring spree in 2022 and raise salaries by an average 3.6 per cent as demand for jobs picks up amid the UAE's post-coronavirus economic recovery.
“Signs of growth abound and are evident in the increased hiring activity that we have seen in 2021 and the positive forecast for 2022,” Andrew El Zein, a career department associate for the Mena region at Mercer, said at the time.
“Employers are prioritising hires for in-demand skill sets that will support future business growth. However, the talent pool is still developing, causing somewhat of a talent war.”
Meanwhile, the Cooper Fitch UAE Salary Guide 2022, which was published in December 2021 and polled more than 600 companies in the country, found that 35 per cent of businesses plan to increase salaries by up to 5 per cent this year.
It also found that 4 per cent of companies would offer employees a raise of between 6 per cent to 9 per cent, while 5 per cent will boost wages by 10 per cent or more.
Will bonuses return in 2022?
Of the business leaders surveyed by Cooper Fitch for its salary guide, 74 per cent of companies in the UAE planned to offer bonus schemes in 2022, with 46 per cent saying they would pay one to two months’ gross salary and 21 per cent saying they would reward employees with three to five months' gross salary.
However, not all sectors will be offering bonuses to employees this year, Trefor Murphy, chief executive of Cooper Fitch, says.
“For bonus payouts, all sectors except real estate and the public sector said they will be paying bonuses in 2022.”
Business people on escalators at the Dubai International Finance Centre. Employees in a range of sectors in the UAE can expect an average pay rise of between 3 per cent to 5 per cent in 2022. Sarah Dea / The National
What benefits will jobseekers be offered in 2022?
Companies must offer a competitive benefits package to attract the best talent, according to the Robert Half 2022 salary guide.
“Candidates expectations have changed since the pandemic and they are expecting more beyond salaries and bonuses,” the report says.
“Employers are adjusting benefits and perks to attract and retain the new ‘anywhere’ workforce. Efforts to bolster workplace culture and avoid digital burnout [will] see companies introduce mental health hotlines and remote working initiatives.”
Some of the most common benefits UAE employers are offering jobseekers include flexible and remote working, airline tickets, an education allowance and family visas.
However, since the outbreak of Covid-19, job candidates are increasingly requesting to work from home at least two days a week, as well as asking for flexible hours and training opportunities, the Robert Half report says.
“Businesses are adding to their benefits to retain and attract staff,” Gareth El Mettouri, Robert Half’s associate director of the Middle East, says in the salary report.
“Many local businesses are keen to get back to the office, but with candidates demanding flexible working, they may lose out on the best talent to multinationals.”
For bonus payouts, all sectors except real estate and the public sector said they will be paying bonuses in 2022
Trefor Murphy, chief executive of Cooper Fitch
However, child education allowances are a significant “pull factor” for professionals in the UAE when considering a new role, Ms Dixon of Hays Middle East says.
“With so many expats uprooting family and relocating to the region from home countries for jobs, child education fees represents a significant proportion of their incomes and candidates will favour an employer that offers to cover these,” she says.
“This is a challenge to organisations as school fees are relatively expensive in the UAE and from our experiences, child education allowances are generally only offered to senior-level candidates. They also vary by way in which they are offered – some employers provide an annual lump sum, while others cover up to two children, or are capped at a certain level of spend.”
What will be the most resilient sectors in 2022?
The most resilient sectors this year will include technology, human resources, health care and life sciences, while there will be accelerated demand for skilled workers in digital and data, and project management, recruitment specialist Michael Page says in its UAE Salary Guide & Hiring Insights 2022 report.
Meanwhile, there is still strong demand for talent in some of the “usual suspect sectors” such as consulting, advisory and recruitment, Mr Murphy of Cooper Fitch says.
“There is also a large base of activity around digital, technology and artificial intelligence, with an overall recovery in all UAE markets recovering to pre-Covid-19 levels,” he says.
“In terms of headcount and salaries in the UAE for 2022 based on our data, the sectors most likely to increase these are advisory, real estate, sales and marketing, technology and strategy.”
Challenges companies face when hiring in 2022
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for long-term change in the workplace, with many companies now allowing employees to either work from home full-time or for one to three days a week.
However, maintaining employee motivation and engagement, and integrating new hires remotely are the main challenges employers are facing in 2022.
Many companies have also had to invest significant amounts of their budgets into technology to enable remote working, Ms Dixon says.
“With competition among employers high, attraction and retention of top talent is a big challenge for organisations,” she says.
“Salary remains the main motivator for changing jobs while career development is the number one reason why employees will stay with an employer.
“On top of these, we have seen professionals’ views on remote working change since the pandemic, with the majority expecting some form of working-from-home options to be offered as part of a standard employment contract going forward.”
What are the highest paid jobs in the UAE?
Banking: head of consumer banking – Dh92,000-Dh98,000
Legal: partner (5+ years) – Dh103,000-Dh227,000
Oil and gas: operations manager – Dh40,000-Dh50,000
Public sector: undersecretary – Dh128,800-Dh180,000
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE Tour 2020
Stage 1: The Pointe Palm Jumeirah - Dubai Silicon Oasis, 148km Stage 2: Hatta - Hatta Dam, 168km Stage 3: Al Qudra Cycle Track - Jebel Hafeet, 184km Stage 4: Zabeel Park - Dubai City Walk, 173km Stage 5: Al Ain - Jebel Hafeet, 162km Stage 6: Al Ruwais - Al Mirfa, 158km Stage 7: Al Maryah Island - Abu Dhabi Breakwater, 127km
Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
A thousand grains of Sand whirl in the sky
To mark the journey of one passer-by
If then a Cavalcade disturbs the scene,
Shall such grains sing before they start to fly?
What man of Honour, and to Honour bred
Will fear to go wherever Truth has led?
For though a Thousand urge him to retreat
He'll laugh, until such counsellors have fled.
Stands always One, defiant and alone
Against the Many, when all Hope has flown.
Then comes the Test; and only then the time
Of reckoning what each can call his own.
History will not forget: that one small Seed
Sufficed to tip the Scales in time of need.
More than a debt, the Emirates owe to Zayed
Their very Souls, from outside influence freed.
No praise from Roderic can increase his Fame.
Steadfastness was the Essence of his name.
The changing years grow Gardens in the Sand
And build new Roads to Sand which stays the same.
But Hearts are not rebuilt, nor Seed resown.
What was, remains, essentially Alone.
Until the Golden Messenger, all-wise,
Calls out: "Come now, my Friend!" - and All is known
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
