UAE salaries: 54% of professionals expect a pay rise this year

While most foresee a raise of between 1 and 5%, almost one in five residents expect up to 10%

There is an opportunity 'to optimise the performance of key people by implementing long-term reward and incentive arrangements', Deloitte said. Getty Images

More than half of UAE professionals expect to receive a pay rise before the end of the year with 17 per cent hoping for an increase of up to 10 per cent, a new study from Bayt.com and YouGov found.

Fifty-four per cent of those polled expect a raise in 2019, with the majority expecting a rise of between 1 and 5 per cent, according to Bayt.com's Middle East and North Africa Salary Survey 2019. The poll of almost 3,800 respondents from across  the Middle East, including the UAE, was carried out in March and April.

Omar Tahboub, general manager of Bayt.com, said the survey ensures “everyone is empowered with the right pieces of information to help them make educated career decisions”.

According to the 2018-2019 Salary Survey and Review from Gulf recruiter and training institute Nadia Global, the average age of the UAE workforce is now under 30, with the employment market set to be "significantly impacted" by digital transformation, as hiring managers look to source the right talent to match the digitisation of workplaces. In January the company predicted salary increases of 3.5 to 5 per cent in 2019 for the UAE workforce.

According to Bayt.com’s latest study, six in 10 say their current wage consists of a basic salary with benefits, while 23 per cent only receive a basic salary and 16 per cent a basic salary topped up with commission and benefits.

While just under half of employees receive personal medical insurance, 16 per cent receive health cover for the family, while 27 per cent receive a transportation allowance and a quarter of those polled are paid a bonus.

Among those surveyed, just over half of UAE respondents have worked in their current industry for up to six years, with another quarter for more than 10 years.