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

Money

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%

Alice Haine
Alice Haine

May 26, 2019

  • English
  • Arabic

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.

While you're here
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

Personal financeMiddle EastNorth Africa