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
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes. The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
1.
United States
2.
China
3.
UAE
4.
Japan
5
Norway
6.
Canada
7.
Singapore
8.
Australia
9.
Saudi Arabia
10.
South Korea
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The currency conundrum
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993 Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE Marital Status: Single School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University Job Title: Pilot, First Officer Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200 Number of flights: Approximately 300 Hobbies: Exercising Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
SERIE A FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm)
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)
Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)
