Finance professionals in the region are finding life tougher than their counterparts across the globe, a new survey has found.
Despite many earning hefty tax-free salaries, in fast-growing economies, with plenty of time to hit the golf course or the spa, 31 per cent of finance workers in the Middle East say they "very often feel stressed at work". More than 3,500 people were polled by a financial recruitment website.
Just 13 per cent of finance workers polled in the UK complained of the same anxiety, and 19 per cent in the US, according to the poll by eFinancialCareers.
Close to two-thirds of financial workers in the Middle East fear for their jobs, the survey found - with 58 per cent saying they are "concerned about being laid off in the next six months".
While the UAE financial sector is showing steady growth, many other Arab nations have struggled with unrest in recent years and their financial sectors have suffered accordingly.
And 61 per cent of Middle East bankers also complain that they have no time to enjoy leisure pursuits. But if they are spending a lot of their time at work, at least most can tolerate their colleagues - 81 per cent said they receive the respect they deserve from their co-workers.
© Emirates 24|7 2013
