DOHA: Employees in Qatar received the highest pay in the Gulf region last year and the upward trend made job opportunities in the country growing significantly that it has become the popular destination to professionals.
According to a recent study by manpower pool website, Gulftalent.com, Qatar registered the highest pay rises in 2010 at 6.8 percent and is even projected to increase by 7.2 percent this year as there has been continuing demand for skills in the country.
Based on an analysis of vacancies advertised by employers and recruitment agencies on GulfTalent.com website, job opportunities in Qatar have grown from 8 percent of all GCC vacancies in 2008 to 16 percent in 2010. The study highlights the rising prominence of Qatar as a destination for professionals.
The trend has been driven by fast-rising salaries, falling cost of living, growing employment opportunities and an improving international brand, which came to a grand finale with the country's surprise qualification to host the 2022 Football World Cup.
Following Qatar in the uptrend is Saudi Arabia with 6.7 percent, Oman was third with 6.4 percent and Kuwait at 5.7 percent. The same research said the pay increases were largely driven by the employers' efforts to retain their top performers, growing demand for skill in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as well as continued growth in Asia, the main source of talent for the Gulf.
UAE and Bahrain saw the smallest pay increases at 5.2 percent and 4.9 percent respectively.
Notably, the study said there could be a mixed impact on the opportunities in the Gulf region during this year as a result of the political turmoil in the wider Middle East region citing most recently the events unfolding in Tunisia and Egypt. Any sustained upheavals "could increase the supply of Arab professionals from regional hotspots who will seek careers in the Gulf, putting downward pressure on salaries," the study said, citing the experience in mass migration of Lebanese professionals to the Gulf during the 2006 conflict in Lebanon.
GulfTalent.com's survey of mobility intentions found that, while the UAE remains the most attractive destination for professionals, favoured by 49 percent of GCC-based expatriates, Qatar is closing in fast, with a 44 percent following.
© The Peninsula 2011
