Nearly half of UAE employees (43 percent) repatriate up to 50 percent of their salary, and the majority (69 percent) believe they are better off than in their country of residence, a new survey revealed.

More than half (57 percent) manage to save a portion of their personal income, and nearly one fifth (17 percent) make regular financial investments, with nearly a quarter (24 percent) investing in their own business, according to the 2021 MENA Salary Survey by job website Bayt and YouGov.

Across the region, nearly two thirds of MENA employees (63 percent) believe salaries are increasing or staying the same in their country of residence.

Wages structure

More than half (53 percent) of the surveyed employees in the UAE said that their current salary package consists of basic salary and benefits, while a third (33 percent) said their pay consists only of basic salary.

A smaller percentage (14 percent) said it consists of basic salary, benefits and commissions. However, the majority (68 percent) of respondents would prefer a 100 percent fixed pay structure.

Less than a fifth (19 percent) said they would prefer a partially fixed pay structure with variable pay for commissions and incentives.

An even split of workers believe loyalty plays a role in their salary compared to those who don’t.

“31 percent claim that their loyalty to their company is not linked to the salary they receive. Yet, another 31 percent regard their loyalty is linked to the salary in a large to full extent.

“Apart from salary, the nature of daily responsibilities (32 percent), opportunities for career advancement (30 percent) and the company brand reputation (26 percent) are important drivers of loyalty,” said the survey.

Employee perception

In their current role, 37 percent of UAE professionals claim to be ‘midway in terms of seniority’ when asked about the level they have reached in their career path, with another 34 percent saying they are in ‘fairly senior level but not at the top yet’.

Zafar Shah, Research Director at YouGov said the survey showed the importance for employers of investing in opportunities for career advancement for staff.

“Smart employers will invest in opportunities for career advancement as well as training and development which are the most important drivers of loyalty besides salary,” he said.

(Writing by Imogen Lillywhite; editing by Seban Scaria)

 imogen.lillywhite@refinitiv.com

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Read our full disclaimer policy here.

© ZAWYA 2021