Research

Majority of UAE Citizens Eyeing Pay Raises, with Some Expecting Increases Exceeding 10%

By HiDubai Newswire May 23, 2023 2 min read

64% of the surveyed Emiratis say they are not satisfied with their current salaries while only 36% are happy with what they were getting.

The majority of the UAE citizens – eight out of 10 – expect an increase in their salaries this year, said a new survey report released on Monday.

According to a report by Tasc Outsourcing, a leading recruitment firm in the region, 17.75 percent of Emiratis expect a salary hike of 10 percent and above while 27.8 percent and 22.5 percent of nationals hope an increase of 5-8 percent and 8-10 percent, respectively.

Around 13.6 percent see an increment of less than five percent while 18.3 percent don’t expect a hike this year.

The survey is based on responses from 500 UAE nationals to understand the representation of Emirati citizens in the country’s workforce.

The survey comes as the UAE government is pushing to increase the quota of Emiratisation in the private sector to accommodate more UAE nationals in the job market.

The majority are not happy with the salary

A majority – 64 percent – of the nationals said they were not satisfied with their current salaries while only 36 percent were happy with what they were getting.

“Employers would do well to review compensation strategies to ensure motivation levels remain high amongst UAE nationals and secure long-term success for their Emiratisation efforts,”

Tasc Consulting said in its 46-page guidebook – Making Emiratisation a Success 2023.

The recruitment agency noted that offering attractive salaries will put firms in good stead in the competitive job market as not just attracting but retaining Emirati talent is also crucial for private sector entities.

“We are seeing the reality of an alarmingly competitive employment landscape, one in which employers must re-strategize if they hope to retain local talent. This means providing support for professional studies and investing in upskilling Emirati workers more than ever so that they have clear career advancement paths and job security,”

said Mahesh Shahdadpuri, founder and CEO, of TASC Outsourcing.

Apart from salary, the study found that benefits and packages, job security, career development, work-life balance, employer brand, and remote/hybrid work options also influence UAE citizens when considering a new job.

Tasc Outsourcing warned that companies that neglect these factors “risk losing out on top Emirati candidates to competitors”.

“While salary remains the key consideration for Emiratis, it is not the only factor that influences their job search. Employers who understand these motivations can build a work environment that meets the needs of both the employee and the employer, resulting in increased job satisfaction and employee retention overall,”

it said.