Salary Survey 2009

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Welcome to the results of the Arabian Business Salary Survey 2009, where we reveal how much employees working in the Gulf region are being paid, ranked by industry, location and nationality.

Unlike last year's poll, which took place during a boom time for the Gulf, this year's questions, answered by more than 3,000 respondents during the month of January were posed at a time when firms were cutting back on their workforce and their budgets.

And it shows. Analysis of the results of our Arabian Business Salary Survey 2009 reveals it doesn't matter how much you earn or how senior your role is, there are no longer any guarantees about job security in the region.

A telling statistic reveals that four out of the top 10 earners who completed our survey - all on substantial six-figure monthly salaries (in US dollars) - admitted they were anxious about their job prospects. Regardless of your industry, it would seem, uncertainty reigns.

The nationality divide

When ranked by nationality, our data showed wages are as diverse as cultures.British expats working in GCC states, for example, earn more than double the salary of their Indian expat counterparts.

Employees from the UK who took part in our poll told us they earned an average of nearly $14,500 a month including all bonuses, commission and allowances, compared to the Indian average of just over $6,000. Across all respondents, the average salary was $8,857 a month.

Americans ranked top in the salary stakes, taking home an average salary of more than $19,000 a month. Australians came second, with an average salary of nearly $17,000, and South Africans took third place with a monthly pay packet of $16,152.

The Brits came in fourth ($14,478), with Canadians completing the top five positions with an average salary of $13,726.

Workers from the Philippines were the worst paid, according to our data, earning an average of $3,082 a month. The figure is almost half that of Syrians, who came second from bottom in the salary rankings.

Indian, Pakistani and Egyptian expatriates completed the bottom five rankings, earning $6,193, $6,649 and $6,343 respectively.

For the purposes of this particular analysis, a minimum of 50 responses were analysed for each nationality.

Bankers defy the downturn

Despite the shortage of liquidity in the Gulf's banking sector courtesy of the credit crunch, the industry's employees do not appear to have the same problem.

According to our data, banking is one of the best paid industries to be in, boasting an average salary (including all bonuses, commission and allowances) of nearly $16,000 a month. That was almost double the monthly pay packet of an average construction industry professional, more than 600 of whom told us that their average salary was just over $8,000.

While the real estate industry has been hard hit by the global slowdown, particulary in the UAE, those who are still in a job rank among the best paid, averaging out at $11,816 a month.

The top five best-paid industries in the Gulf also included healthcare, which took the top spot with an average salary of more than $20,000, finance and insurance ($11,902), and oil and gas ($10,523).

Pay rise in first half of 2008

The impact of the global economic crisis on the region, which started to take hold in September, is reflected in the responses of workers asked about pay rises.

Only 34 percent of employees working in the GCC received a pay rise during the second half of 2008.

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READERS' COMMENTS

The figures look very dubious
Posted by Arun Panangatt, Dubai, UAE on Wednesday 11 March 2009 at 16:46 UAE time


The figures for Western expats looks pretty much ok , but I have to say that the figures give for Indians and Pakistanis are way off the target. this is probably reflective of the profile of sample surveyed from these countries. I assume this was an online survey and therefore had limitations in terms of access. The average income of most Indians & Pakistanis is much less than AED 10k. Any western expat would earn ( irrespective of their competence) at least 3 times more for the same kind of work. Indians and Pakistanis earning 25k+ would form probably around 20% of the total Universe of individuals from these countries currently residing in UAE. It is quite clear that the sample achieved is skewed towards higher income individuals ( at least for Indians & Pakistanis)

salary scale of Asians
Posted by Kazim, Dubai, UAE on Wednesday 11 March 2009 at 09:13 UAE time


I'm surprise to see the salary scale for Indian, Pakistani and Egyptians, as far as I know in my circal of Indian, Pakistani and Egyptian almost all are getting around AED 25+ as basic plus car and home as well commission if applicable. Thought to update your survey :)

Good for those paid in USD/AED but not in GBP
Posted by Rob Llewellyn on Tuesday 10 March 2009 at 10:46 UAE time

Doug,

Thanks for pointing that out. You're quite right.

I was still considering my last contract there where I had done some work for a UK consulting firm and agreed terms in GBP.

I must say that the majority of my contracts there are agreed in USD or AED. Which as you rightly point out, is good to pay off any UK debt right now. Rob

Think you've misunderstood, Rob
Posted by Doug, Dubai on Tuesday 10 March 2009 at 10:31 UAE time


Rob, I think you've misunderstood. British earners in Dubai have not lost their value at all.

When I agreed my salary (way back when the dollar was weak), the salary on offer in Dubai was comparable with what I would earn in the same job in the UK, so I took that offer. Now that the pound has tanked against the dollar, the money I earn here is worth much more. For instance, I send home a certain amount of the dirhams I earn in Dubai back home to pay off a UK credit card. I can now actually send back fewer dirhams a month to the UK and yet pay off MORE than I was ever before. So essentially, I get to keep more dirhams for spending, while managing to clear off my UK debts far more quickly.

It's a bad time of British tourist to come to the UAE, but for those of us already here and essentially earning dollars, we can put away a tidy little nest egg while the times are good.

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