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
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
Ban fruit juice and sodas
Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
Don’t eat dessert every day
Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
Eat everything in moderation
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
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.
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister. "We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know. “All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.” It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins. Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement. The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
Submit their request
What are the regulations?
Fly it within visual line of sight
Never over populated areas
Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
Should have a live feed of the drone flight
Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
John Cena v Triple H
Matches to be announced
WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Raw Tag Team Championship, United States Championship and the Cruiserweight Championship are all due to be defended
