Web Report
The UAE is home to a large number of expatriates, thanks to handsome remuneration packages offered to professionals by local and foreign entities and Dubai’s position as a regional financial and business hub.
A mid-level expat working in the UAE earns a whopping Dh320,000 (£69,280) per annum on average, which is the second-best remuneration after Saudi Arabia in the region. In the kingdom, the UAE’s peers earn approximately Dh329,000 (£71,125) per annum, according to ECA International.
“The Middle East has always offered extremely high salaries to overseas workers, and 2018 was no different. However, the benefits offered in these nations are not among the most costly for an employer, and the average value of benefits offered actually dropped in both locations last year, while the lack of any personal tax means that the overall package works out to be a lot lower when benefits and tax are both taken into account,” said Oliver Browne, remuneration manager at ECA International.
However, CEO World has ranked Dubai and Abu Dhabi among 100 cities that offer the highest average monthly net salary after tax. Ranked 65th, the average salary in Dubai is $2,888 (Dh10,600) and $2,653 (Dh9,736) in Abu Dhabi, which is ranked 87th.
Nadine Obeid, UAE country manager at Bayt.com, said the top factors that are causing salaries to increase in the UAE are growth in opportunities, economic growth, good corporate performance and increased profitability.
“Indeed, the UAE is among the most booming and competitive job markets regionally and globally, with many talented professionals looking to make their next big break here,” said Obeid.
She noted that jobseekers face challenges of supply versus demand, which higher competitiveness, especially in a country that is packed with lucrative career opportunities such as the UAE, which are attractive to the crème-de-la-crème of talent from all around the world.
“It is a game of keeping skills up to date and relevant with the ever-shifting job requirements and technological evolution.”
