Talent war driving up salaries for UAE firms

Employers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have expressed growing concern over the difficulty in recruiting qualified professionals with the shift to digitalisation, according to recruitment firm Robert Half’s salary guide for 2019.

The ongoing war for talent is preventing firms finding and hiring qualified and skilled talent, according to almost half (49%) of organisations in the UAE polled.

Competition for talent is also driving up salaries: almost a fifth (19%) of organisations said they increased base salaries for most (80%) new hires.

Mercer’s annual Total Remuneration Survey adds that the average salary in the UAE climbed by 4.5% in 2018 . The biggest increase was in the life sciences sector, where average salary rose by 5%.

The salary outlooks remains positive for the UAE in 2019, as Mercer’s guide forecasts an increase next year of 4.8%.