As Saudi Arabia’s job market continues to evolve, professionals are becoming more strategic about their career decisions, salary expectations, and workplace benefits, an industry report said.
Over the past year, 56.5 per cent of professionals in Saudi Arabia negotiated their salary, though only 29.8 per cent successfully secured a raise, the report by global recruitment firm Michael Page said.
Saudi professionals seek benefits
While financial incentives such as bonuses were the most common requests (19.3 per cent), professionals also sought mentorship and career development opportunities (15.5 per cent) as part of their negotiations, it said.
Domenic Falzarano, Regional Director of Michael Page Saudi Arabia, said their study showed that Saudi professionals are more confident than ever when it comes to salary discussions.
“[As high as] 89 per cent of Saudi professionals feel prepared to negotiate their pay with potential employers. However, the relatively low success rate suggests a gap between expectations and what companies are willing to offer,” he said.
Falzarano said employers who fail to align with market trends risk losing top talent to more competitive offers.
The report said compensation expectations play a critical role in job mobility in the Kingdom, highlighting the growing importance of competitive salary structures in employee retention strategies.
When faced with a salary offer below expectations, 40.5 per cent of candidates in Saudi Arabia negotiate for additional non-monetary benefits, while 14 per cent decline and push for a higher salary outright, the report said.
“This signals that while employees prioritise salary, they are also strategic in securing a well-rounded compensation package,” the report said.
Michael Page said its data also found that 15.8 per cent of professionals who did not negotiate their salary chose not to because they were already planning to leave their current company.
“As the Saudi economy continues its rapid transformation, salaries across key industries are being adjusted to attract and retain specialised talent,” Falzarano said.
“Companies that stay ahead of these trends and offer competitive salary packages will be in the strongest position to secure the best professionals in the market,” he added.
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