The annual gross wage survey was launched at the regional level in 18 countries in the MENA region. In the UAE in particular, the survey was conducted with the participation of more than 500 enterprises in manufacturing, retail, wholesale, services, chemicals, life sciences, advanced technology, energy and other sectors. Salary increase is expected to grow to 4.5% in 2020, while the life sciences sector is experiencing the highest increase of 4.6%. While expectations vary in specific sectors, the life sciences and high-tech industries are likely to be the driving force for this increase, while the energy sector continues to record slower market performance with an expected increase of 3.7% in 2020, compared to an increase of 3.6% in 2019. Companies offer higher increases for executives and managers than other employees, indicating increased interest in leadership skills.
The aspirations of a large segment of UAE employers to increase salaries in 2020 is encouraging and reflects the optimistic outlook of the economy and its resilience. New ways of advancing and developing the workforce Further, in addition to annual increases in base salary, UAE companies are making significant progress in the area of long-term incentives. For example, the recent implementation of enhanced employee benefits at the DIFC will drive corporate efforts to attract andpromote the diversification of the various sectors in the region.
