Show me the money

As wages come into question in the region, a recent report conducted by online jobsite Bayt.com shows discrepancies between wage hikes and the high cost of living. While UAE workers received 15 percent increase on average last year, the cost of living in the country rose by 4.5 percent in the first nine months of 2009, Arabian Business.com reported.  The biggest gains were in education, where prices increased by 21.5 percent and clothing and footwear, which rose 10.2 percent.

Another survey, conducted by human resource consultant Hewitt Associates, said there are signs of positive growth in the Middle East, predicting a 7.9 percent increase in salaries in 2010, Arabian Business reported in October. According to the firm’s survey, the average salary increased by just 6.9 percent last year.

“According to Hewitt’s salary studies across global markets, the Middle East salary projections for 2010 are among the highest in the world,” said Debabrat Mishra, the head of consulting business of the regional branch of Hewitt Associates.