About 76 per cent of employees in the UAE have either changed jobs in the past year or are planning to do so in the next 12 months, as they seek higher salaries and better benefits, according to a new survey by Zurich Workplace Solutions and market research company YouGov.
Fifty-five per cent of respondents said higher salary packages motivated them to seek a new job, while 44 per cent wanted better employee benefits and 43 per cent sought professional development and skills growth, the survey found.
“As companies seek to attract and, importantly, retain talent in the UAE, they must accept that this is a mature job market where talent holds many of the cards,” said Sajeev Nair, senior executive officer at Zurich Workplace Solutions.
“Providing better benefits is a clear-cut way for companies to position themselves as employers of choice; yet our survey reveals that there is a mismatch in an employer’s definition of a benefit and what employees understand to be a tangible benefit.”
Statistics behind the UAE's hiring boom
The survey, conducted between September 29 and October 5, polled 2,021 respondents, of whom 1,006 are employers and 1,015 are employees.
In October, a separate study by jobs portal Bayt.com and YouGov found that 86 per cent of working professionals in the UAE have a positive career outlook for 2023.
The UAE jobs market has made a strong recovery from the coronavirus-induced slowdown, helped by the government’s fiscal and monetary measures.
The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has undertaken several economic, legal and social reforms over the years to strengthen its business environment, increase foreign direct investment, attract skilled workers with new visas and provide incentives to companies to set up or expand their operations.
“The environment is now fertile for employers to capitalise and act to make the UAE a net importer of talent and net exporter of knowledge work,” Mr Nair said.
About 52 per cent of employers believe they are facing a talent shortage — with sales and marketing, and data science facing the biggest shortfall — indicating that organisations must readdress the benefits they are offering, the Zurich Workplace Solutions survey said.
However, 89 per cent of employees said they would switch jobs for the same pay if better benefits were on offer.
“The report demonstrates that workplace savings, unemployment insurance and education allowances are among the employee benefits most highly valued by employees,” the survey said.
In March, the Dubai government announced that non-Emirati employees working in government and the public sector can join a new savings pension plan.
The Dubai government savings scheme will offer expatriate employees a choice of capital protection investment plans, including Sharia-compliant options.
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) was the first entity in the UAE to set up a gratuity system when it introduced the DIFC Employee Workplace Savings plan, or Dews, in February 2020.
Meanwhile, workforce sustainability to attract the talent of tomorrow is important, with 50 per cent of employees saying that improving skills is critical, alongside recognising and rewarding achievement and listening to employees, the Zurich study found.
While 82 per cent of companies in the UAE believe they offer ample upskilling opportunities, 36 per cent of employees say professional development is lacking in their workplace and 53 per cent cite unhappiness with growth opportunities as a reason to change jobs.
Employees also see a need for organisations to demonstrate social leadership. For example, 36 per cent of employees surveyed said that they believed their organisation was not doing enough to address climate change.
Socially responsible initiatives supported by employees include waste reduction programmes and flexible working, the study found.
“Companies need to build personalised, engaging packages centred on the benefits that talent really wants, and they need to communicate these benefits better, both to potential recruits and existing employees who may not be getting the full picture of what the employer offers,” Mr Nair said.
“With the UAE committed to being one of the world’s great knowledge economies, the time to address future skills needs and attract top global talent is now.”
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
Results
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Nadhra, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Dars, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Taghzel, Malin Holmberg, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: M’Y Yaromoon, Khalifa Al Neyadi, Jesus Rosales
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (PA) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeem, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Men from Barca's class of 99
Crystal Palace - Frank de Boer
Everton - Ronald Koeman
Manchester City - Pep Guardiola
Manchester United - Jose Mourinho
Southampton - Mauricio Pellegrino
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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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