Saudi Arabia and UAE 2017 salary increases highest in the region

• Aon's annual salary increase survey shows Saudi Arabia leading the way with 4.4% salary increase, followed closely by 4.3% in UAE and Kuwait, and 4.2% in Qatar
• Highest salary increases across the region come from the Life Sciences (5.1%) and Hi-Tech (4.6%) sectors
• Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar have the highest salary increase projections for 2018, at an optimistic 4.5%

Dubai, UAE - Media OutReach - 11 September 2017 - Saudi Arabia continues to lead the region in salary increases, according to a GCC-wide survey of 600 multi-national companies and locally-owned conglomerates by Aon, a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement, and health solutions.

The largest study of its kind in the Gulf region showed that, just as in 2016, actual salary increases remain lower than forecasted, influenced largely by a slow economy and low oil prices. The region-wide VAT, a tax on consumption, of 5% to be implemented in January 2018 is expected to help improve GDP growth; however, it will add to the rising inflation in the region, leading to cost pressures. While  employers choose to remain conservative in the projected salary increase of 2018, we may witness an upside in the actual salary increase, thanks to an improving economic situation as a result of increased government spending, stabilized oil prices, and the effects of economic transformation programs.

Actual salary increases this year are highest for the Life Sciences (5.1%) and Hi-Tech sectors (4.6%), while the Construction/Engineering and Transportation/Logistics/Shipping Servicessectors suffered the lowest salary increases at an average of just 2.4%.This is similar to last year, where Life Sciences was also a highest paid sector (together with Consumer Products)   and Construction/Engineering experienced the lowest salary increase (together with the Energy sector).

Robert Richter, GCC Compensation Survey Manager, Aon Hewitt Middle East, said: "Despite lower than projected salary increases this year, there is optimism in the region over KSA Vision 2030 and Expo 2020--with the potential for thriving new industries and a significant level of job creation in the region as a whole. With the stabilisation of oil prices, we can also expect the economy to stabilise and strengthen in the coming years."

About Aon's Salary Increase Survey

Aon has been conducting the salary increase survey on an annual basis across the globe for 30 years, and launched it in the Middle East for the first time in 2012. The report is free to participating organizations and available at a price of US$1,000 to others. The survey is part of Aon Hewitt's suite of evidence-based, research-led studies including Qudurat, Best Employers Middle East (BEME), Total Compensation Measurement (TCM™), and Top Companies for Leaders.

About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance.

For further information on our capabilities and to learn how we empower results for clients, please visit https://aonhewitt.ae