Doha, Qatar,11 June2018: The Bayt.com ‘Middle East and North Africa Salary Survey’, conducted amongst working men and women in the MENA region in partnership with YouGov, revealed a variety of insights on employees’ perceptions of salaries and benefits. According to the survey,59% believe salaries in Qatar are either increasing or staying the same. At the same time, over half (51%) of employees expect to receive a raise in2018, with the largest proportion of these respondents (16%) expecting a raise of6 to10%.
The survey, administered by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 job site, and YouGov, a global pioneer in online market research, aims to gauge employee satisfaction with their current salaries and the varying components that contribute to it, as well as explore the drivers of loyalty towards employers and the significance of salary in career satisfaction and general wellbeing.
Salaries, Benefits, and Raises
In terms of salary, two thirds (65%) of Qatar respondents claim that their current salary package consists of basic salary with benefits, while one in five (22%) claim that it consists of basic salary only.14% said they receive a basic salary as well as a commission and benefits. Around a half (48%) of Qatar respondents who receive a salary package along with other benefits and/or commission claim that their basic salary consists of up to half of the whole proportion of the package.
When it came to the preferred pay structure,69% of Qatar respondents said they prefer a ‘100% fixed pay structure’, a quarter said they prefer a ‘partially fixed pay structure with a variable pay for commissions and incentives, while5% prefer a ‘100% variable pay structure.
Among the various benefits employees in Qatar receive, personal annual air ticket (49%), personal medical insurance (35%), transportation allowance (35%), housing allowance (31%), gratuity (30%), and company provided accommodation (23%) emerge as the most common benefits. As for end of service benefits, nearly three quarters (74%) of respondents say their company presently offers end-of-service gratuity,5% receive pension on retirement, and4% receive other forms of benefits.<.>
Looking back at last year, almost half (45%) of respondents received a salary raise in2017. Nonetheless, over half (51%) of respondents from Qatar expect to receive a raise in2018, with the largest proportion of these respondents (16%) expecting a raise of6 to10%.
Among respondents in Qatar respondents who believe salaries are increasing over a third (35%) attribute it to inflation and a rise in the cost of living. Over a quarter (29%) believe salaries are increasing as a result of growth in opportunities and economic growth in their country of residence,27% believe it is due to good corporate performance and increased profitability, and15% say it is caused by intense competition for attracting and retaining talent.
Finances and Expenses
More than two thirds (68%) of respondents believe their cost of living increased by up to30% in2017,13% believe it has increased by more than30%, while one in10 (11%) believe it decreased or remained the same. When asked about the components of living which increased in cost in2017, food and beverage (85%) and utilities (48%) emerged as the top two. Two thirds of respondents (66%) anticipate a further increase in the cost of living in2018.
In terms of monthly expenses, respondents from Qatar said they spend the most on rent (38%) food and dining out (21%), and education, schooling, and books for their children (14%).
That said,71% of respondents still manage to save a portion of their monthly income, just over two thirds (67%) of Qatar respondents repatriate some portion of their salary to their home country, and18% make regular financial investments.
In terms of quality of life, one in two (49%) respondents from Qatar believe they are better off than other people of a similar generation in their country of residence, another quarter (24%) believe they are about the same, and only19% believe they are worse off.
When asked about their career plans in the next twelve months, just over half (56%) of Qatar respondents said they will look for a better job in the same industry, and a third (29%) said they plan to look for a better job in a different industry.
“Surveys like this help uncover extremely valuable insights for employers and employees alike. It’s no surprise that as the cost of living increases in the MENA region, so do salaries and raise expectations, said Suhail Masri, VP of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “At Bayt.com, we strive to pair job seekers with the employers that best suit their needs and preferences, and vice versa. We have more than10,000 jobs available on Bayt.com on any given day, and with the knowledge gained from this survey and others like it, we are able to help facilitate the best matches between candidates and recruiters while making the process of finding jobs and filling vacancies smoother, less time consuming, and more rewarding all around.”
Respondent Profile
Among those surveyed, just over half (54%) of all respondents from Qatar have been working in their current industry for up to six years, with another quarter (28%) having worked in their industry for more than10 years. When it came to specific employers, the majority (81%) of respondents have been working with their current employer for six years or less, with37% having worked for their employer for less than three years.7% have worked with their current employer for more than10 years.
In their current role, about a third (34%) of Qatar professionals claim to be ‘midway in terms of seniority’ when asked about the level they have reached in their career path, with another third (33%) claiming they are ‘fairly senior level but not yet at the top’,24% report being in the ‘early days of their career’, and10% being at the ‘most senior level’ they can achieve.
Half of the respondents from Qatar have up to10 people reporting to them both directly and indirectly, while31% have11 or more people reporting to them.
“Salaries is repeatedly one of the most important research topics for the MENA region, “said Nihal Jibouri, Head of Custom Research (MENA), YouGov. “With the information we cover from this survey, we are able to gauge employee’s current income structure and levels, satisfaction with their salaries, perception towards their cost of living and expense allocation. This provides many insights to employers and key decision makers on many elements relating to the job market, the economy, and the quality of life.”
Data for the2018 Middle East and North Africa Salaries survey was collected online from24th March2018 to13th May2018. Results are based on a sample of4,194 respondents from the following countries: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, and Pakistan.