2016

SALARY GUIDE

CONTENTS
3
4
5

From the Senior Managing Director

Using the Salary Guide
Overview
Accounting and finance

8
12

Accounting and finance hiring

Accounting and finance salaries
Financial services

14
16

Financial services hiring

Financial services salaries
Technology

18
20

Technology hiring
Technology salaries
Human resources and administration

22
25

Human resources and administration hiring

Human resources and administration salaries
Legal

26
28
29
30
31

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Legal hiring
Legal salaries
Additional remuneration trends
Hiring for the right cultural fit
About Robert Half

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

FROM THE SENIOR MANAGING DIRECTOR

As the international economy improves and United Arab
Emirates (UAE) markets prepare for growth, it is becoming
hugely important for companies in the region to prioritise
attracting skilled professionals with a comprehensive
recruitment strategy. Competition for the best candidates
is a heated race and will continue to rise alongside
business confidence.
UAE companies are not only looking for candidates with
proven skills but also those with the right cultural fit who
can work with the rest of the team to build the business
successfully. To attract and secure those candidates in a
tighter skills market, companies need to offer attractive and
competitive remuneration and benefits packages.
The Robert Half 2016 Salary Guide can help achieve those
goals by providing a reliable benchmark of jobs and salaries
in the UAE. The guide includes the most accurate and up-to-date information on
remuneration, benefits and workplace challenges as well as a forecast for the year
ahead. The guide covers five areas of recruitment: accounting and finance, financial
services, technology, legal, and human resources and administration professions.
There is also a useful section on how to hire for cultural fit on page 30.
For more information on remuneration trends and recruitment insights, visit our salary
centre at roberthalf.ae/salary-centre.
Regards,

Ian Graves
Senior Managing Director, Continental Europe and Middle East

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

USING THE SALARY GUIDE

Robert Half Salary Guides have been a highly regarded resource for employers for decades. They provide
unique insights into hiring trends and emerging issues affecting professionals.
Each year, employers use our Salary Guide to set compensation levels for new hires, plan budgets and
better understand the hiring environment.
Competitive compensation is a companys best line of defence against losing top talent, and the 2016
Salary Guide features salary ranges for nearly 200 permanent positions across the UAE.
The salary figures are based on a number of sources, most notably the significant number of placements our
recruiting professionals make each year. Our experts interact with hiring managers and candidates daily,
which gives us the most up-to-date, real-world insight into the latest remuneration trends.

Our sources include:

Market observations from Robert Half consultants working with senior executives, hiring

managers and candidates, giving our consultants unique insights into remuneration trends

Permanent placements made each year by our recruitment consultants across the region
Independent research we conduct regularly among human resources (HR) directors and
chief financial officers (CFOs).

The projected salaries for each position reflect starting pay only. Bonuses and other forms of reward, such
as expatriate incentives and benefits plans, are not taken into account. We recognise that salary ranges
may vary by industry and are influenced by hard-to-find skill sets. Please speak with one of our consultants
to discuss specific factors affecting your sector.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

OVERVIEW
The hiring climate
Businesses are focused on improving their operations and maintaining their position in the market.
Although the regional economy has plateaued in recent months attributed slightly to the reduction in
oil and gas activity UAE employers continue to fill open vacancies and backfill permanent positions.
The regions successful bid for Expo 2020 continues to drive up optimism for business growth over the coming
years, and this in turn is creating a shortage of the best candidates to help take organisations forward.
As a result, 93% of CFOs in the region find it challenging to secure skilled, professional-level employees.
Almost half (48%) say that the primary reason for this is the lack of niche, technical experts.
As international economies, particularly in the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK) and Europe return
to pre-recessionary levels, UAE companies are having to compete on an international scale to attract topperforming candidates as the perceived benefits of relocating to the UAE for these candidates have diminished.
With the decline in offering all-inclusive relocation incentives combined with rising living costs, businesses
are investing in training and development and career progression opportunities for existing staff.

Reasons it's challenging to find skilled professionals

48%
Lack of niche,
technical experts

27%
Lack of commercial,
business skills

19%
General demand
outweighs supply

Source: Robert Half survey of 75 UAE CFOs.

roberthalf.ae

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

Key trends affecting hiring

The region continues to benefit from its long-standing policy

of diversification away from oil production

Market observers including PwC1 believe that the Middle East and Africa (MEA) are on the brink of a
significant increase in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deal flow, despite regulatory and cultural barriers
that will continue to limit activity in some areas. M&A activity is predicted to take off most quickly in the
education, healthcare, retail and consumer sectors, sparking a rise in demand for accounting and finance
professionals in those markets.
The UAE region continues to benefit from its long-standing policy of diversification away from oil
production. The most popular asset class for UAE investors is real estate, with 67% believing it to be the
best performing asset in 2015, according to a survey by Franklin Templeton2.
This interest in real estate is echoed by the fact that the construction sector topped a recent list of major
employers, followed by the business sector. The regions Ministry of Labour3 commented that the business
sector made up a quarter of total employment and that the UAEs labour market is heading towards
attracting talent and expertise in specialised and technical professions.
Even with the plateau of the economy and reduction in government spending, companies are broadly
optimistic about the regions growth prospects in the year ahead. The majority (85%) of finance directors
say that they are more optimistic about economic growth than 12 months ago, while 89% say that they are
more optimistic about their own companys prospects than a year before.

Factors driving the stronger labour market

35%
Higher confidence
among employers

28%
Higher confidence
among employees

27%
Economic
climate

25%
Increased
job creation

Source: Robert Half survey of 75 UAE CFOs. Multiple responses permitted.

www.pwc.com/en_M1/m1/publications/megatrends-in-mergers-and-acquisitions.jhtml
gulfbusiness.com/2015/05/real-estate-ranked-favoured-asset-class-uae-investors-survey/#.VX7exPlVikp
3
www.arabianbusiness.com/revealed-uae-s-labour-market-hits-new-high-with-4-4m-in-jobs-589093.html#.VX7fmflVikp
1
2

roberthalf.ae

23%
Political
climate

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

17%
Increased
profitability

17%
Declining
unemployment

Retention concerns
As skills shortages continue to bite, HR directors are becoming more concerned about losing talented
professionals to the competition, locally and internationally. Almost three-quarters (72%) say that they
are worried about top performers leaving to take up other job opportunities in the next year.
HR directors believe that the main reason for employees to leave the company is the offer of higher
remuneration, with 29% citing this as the top motivator. Other reasons to leave include career
advancement (27%), better worklife balance (24%), better location (13%) and better corporate
culture (7%).
Bearing all this in mind, its more important than ever for companies to benchmark existing employees
remuneration packages against current industry standards to avoid employees leaving for greener pastures.

Factors prompting employees to leave

$
29%
Higher remuneration
(including salary, bonus
and benefits)

27%
Career
advancement

24%
Worklife
balance

13%
Location

7%
Corporate
culture

Source: Robert Half survey of 75 UAE HR directors.

roberthalf.ae

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE HIRING

93%

of CFOs find it challenging to source

skilled financial professionals

The hiring climate

Accounting and finance recruitment is looking positive, although companies are still cautious when
considering who and when to hire. Companies are generally seeking to fill specific gaps in their teams as
well as to invest in new initiatives such as system implementation and business partnering.
As a result of this activity, the accounting and finance skills shortage is already concerning CFOs in the
region, who report that it is increasingly difficult to find the right candidates. The vast majority (93%) of
CFOs say that they find it challenging to find skilled financial professionals today.
The main reason for this challenge is the lack of niche, technical experts available in the market with
commercial business skills.
Looking at the roles that are most difficult to fill, CFOs state that functional areas including accounting, financial
and management control, business and financial analysis and audit present the toughest challenges.

roberthalf.ae

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

Skilled candidates are most difficult to find in...

28%
Accounting

27%
24%
Financial
Business/financial
management/control
analysis

23%
Audit

19%
Compliance

Source: Robert Half survey of 75 UAE CFOs. Multiple responses permitted.

Technology will continue to play a hugely important role in the development of well-functioning, effective
finance departments. CFOs predict that the areas that will attract the most investment, and that will
therefore create the most new job opportunities, will be fraud detection and risk management (47%), data
analytics (40%), and compliance and regulation (39%).
Interestingly, employers are focusing on nationals and existing expat employees rather than new expat
workers from overseas, where possible. Over the last five years, two in five (39%) finance leaders have
found it more challenging to recruit international skilled talent. The majority (75%) of finance leaders are
offering career development opportunities as their main attraction strategy for international talent. In an
attempt to increase efficiencies and facilitate growth, it is becoming more important to upskill and develop
the current workforce than offer all-inclusive relocation packages to new foreign finance professionals.

Career development is the main attraction strategy offered to

international talent, according to 75% of CFOs

roberthalf.ae

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

Greatest pressures facing the accounting and finance function

40%

Delivering efficiencies and growth

39%

Managing workloads

32%

Retaining finance employees

27%

Recruiting skilled talent

21%

Audit, risk and compliance initiatives

Source: Robert Half survey of 75 UAE CFOs. Multiple responses permitted.

Skills and qualifications in demand

ACA, ACCA and CIMA qualified

Accounting software experience

Experienced with accounting

standards US GAAP, IFRS and SOX

Multinational corporation

(Oracle and SAP)

experience combined with 35 years

industry-specific experience

Positions in demand
Chief financial officers

Financial controllers

Regional financial directors

Management/financial accountants

roberthalf.ae

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

10

Remuneration trends
As CFOs focus on retaining their top performers, they are being increasingly selective about who should
be awarded pay rises and bonuses, choosing to reward individuals on the basis of the contribution and
value that they deliver to the organisation.
Overall, there is a trend for remuneration to rise. In the next 12 months, CFOs expect salaries for their
existing permanent accounting and finance employees to increase by 6.6%*.

CFOs remuneration plans today compared with three years ago

84%

Increase salaries

68%

Increase benefits

68%

Increase bonuses

Source: Robert Half survey of 75 UAE CFOs.

This figure is based on CFOs own predicted pay rises for existing accounting and finance employees and is not an average from the Robert Half UAE 2016 Salary Guide.

roberthalf.ae

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

11

ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE SALARIES

Job title

Chief Financial Officer

Finance Director
Financial Controller
Assistant Financial Controller
Chief Accountant
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer
Finance Manager
Senior Finance Associate
Tax Director
Tax Manager
Senior Tax Associate
Senior Financial Analyst
Financial Analyst
Compliance Director
Compliance Manager
Compliance Officer
Audit Manager
Senior Internal Auditor
Internal Auditor
Management Accountant
(5+ years experience)

roberthalf.ae

Company size

SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company

2015 (USD)

$ 220,000
$ 240,000
$ 180,000
$ 210,000
$ 110,000
$ 110,000
$ 85,000
$ 100,000
$ 95,000
$ 100,000
$ 120,000
$ 133,000
$ 105,000
$ 109,000
$ 100,000
$ 118,500
$ 77,500
$ 80,000
$ 109,750
$ 125,000
$ 80,000
$ 82,000
$ 54,000
$ 56,500
$ 74,750
$ 78,500
$ 64,250
$ 67,000
$ 103,500
$ 127,500
$ 81,500
$ 81,500
$ 61,000
$ 71,500
$ 130,000
$ 132,250
$ 80,000
$ 84,500
$ 55,000
$ 60,000
$ 80,000
$ 83,500

$ 490,000
$ 600,000
$ 330,000
$ 360,000
$ 210,000
$ 220,000
$ 130,000
$ 135,000
$ 145,000
$ 160,500
$ 170,250
$ 249,000
$ 130,000
$ 135,000
$ 163,000
$ 191,250
$ 98,000
$ 110,000
$ 169,500
$ 191,750
$ 114,500
$ 131,000
$ 72,000
$ 94,000
$ 103,000
$ 110,000
$ 92,000
$ 97,750
$ 131,500
$ 179,750
$ 115,000
$ 140,000
$ 81,750
$ 85,250
$ 205,500
$ 237,500
$ 128,000
$ 141,000
$ 72,500
$ 75,000
$ 121,000
$ 127,250

2016 (USD)

$ 228,500
$ 247,500
$ 182,000
$ 214,500
$ 112,250
$ 115,250
$ 86,500
$ 102,750
$ 98,000
$ 101,750
$ 122,000
$ 137,000
$ 106,250
$ 112,000
$ 100,000
$ 118,750
$ 78,000
$ 80,750
$ 111,250
$ 129,500
$ 81,000
$ 83,000
$ 55,500
$ 58,000
$ 75,500
$ 81,500
$ 64,750
$ 69,250
$ 109,250
$ 134,500
$ 81,750
$ 84,000
$ 61,500
$ 74,000
$ 134,250
$ 141,000
$ 81,750
$ 88,250
$ 56,500
$ 65,250
$ 81,500
$ 85,750

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

% change

$ 509,000
$ 618,500
$ 333,750
$ 367,500
$ 214,500
$ 230,250
$ 132,500
$ 138,750
$ 149,750
$ 163,500
$ 173,000
$ 256,500
$ 131,500
$ 138,750
$ 164,500
$ 191,750
$ 98,750
$ 111,000
$ 171,750
$ 198,750
$ 115,750
$ 132,750
$ 74,000
$ 96,500
$ 104,250
$ 114,250
$ 92,500
$ 101,000
$ 138,750
$ 189,500
$ 115,250
$ 144,500
$ 82,250
$ 88,250
$ 212,250
$ 253,250
$ 130,750
$ 147,000
$ 74,500
$ 81,750
$ 123,250
$ 130,750

3.9%
3.1%
1.1%
2.1%
2.1%
4.7%
1.9%
2.8%
3.2%
1.8%
1.6%
3.0%
1.2%
2.8%
0.6%
0.2%
0.7%
0.9%
1.3%
3.0%
3.6%
1.3%
2.8%
2.7%
1.1%
3.8%
0.6%
3.3%
5.5%
5.5%
0.3%
3.2%
0.7%
3.5%
3.3%
6.6%
2.2%
4.3%
2.7%
8.9%
1.9%
2.7%

12

ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE SALARIES

Job title

Management Accountant
(14 years experience)
Payroll Manager
Payroll Supervisor
Credit Manager
Assistant Credit Manager
Credit Controller
Assistant Credit Controller
General Ledger Accountant
(5+ years experience)
General Ledger Accountant
(14 years experience)
Accounts Receivable/
Payable Manager
Accounts Receivable/
Payable Accountant
Assistant Accountant

roberthalf.ae

Company size

SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company
SME
Large company

2015 (USD)

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

70,250
70,000
73,000
83,500
70,000
77,000
80,000
84,500
73,250
71,000
50,000
58,750
35,000
41,000
86,500
82,500
67,500
68,000
72,000
77,500
47,250
48,000
36,750
42,500

$ 103,000
$ 109,000
$ 100,000
$ 111,000
$ 96,250
$ 105,000
$ 107,750
$ 111,750
$ 78,000
$ 83,250
$ 66,000
$ 74,750
$ 50,250
$ 59,250
$ 118,750
$ 121,000
$ 97,500
$ 102,000
$ 115,000
$ 120,000
$ 72,500
$ 75,000
$ 64,500
$ 69,500

2016 (USD)

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

70,500
70,750
73,250
86,000
70,250
77,500
80,250
86,500
73,500
71,250
50,500
59,500
35,250
41,750
88,000
86,750
68,000
69,750
73,500
79,000
47,500
49,500
37,250
44,000

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

% change

$ 103,250
$ 110,000
$ 100,500
$ 114,250
$ 96,500
$ 105,500
$ 108,250
$ 114,250
$ 78,500
$ 83,750
$ 66,500
$ 75,750
$ 50,750
$ 60,500
$ 121,000
$ 127,500
$ 98,000
$ 104,500
$ 117,500
$ 122,500
$ 72,750
$ 77,250
$ 65,250
$ 72,000

0.3%
1.0%
0.4%
3.0%
0.3%
0.5%
0.4%
2.3%
0.5%
0.5%
0.9%
1.3%
0.9%
2.0%
1.8%
5.3%
0.6%
2.5%
2.1%
2.0%
0.4%
3.0%
1.2%
3.6%

13

FINANCIAL SERVICES HIRING

The growing skills shortage has renewed retention concerns

The hiring climate

The risk and compliance agenda continues to dominate the UAE financial services industry, driven by
increasing regulatory demands and growth in financial crime, fraud and cyber security. Risk management
is now part of day-to-day business operations for financial services companies, and there is a
commensurate demand for skilled professionals with experience in anti-money laundering, anti-bribery
and corruption, regulatory investigations and compliance.
Within capital markets, there is an appetite for growth within both corporate and institutional markets as
the adoption and use of derivative products continue to grow. Banks are looking to grow corporate FX
sales teams, while brokerages are building their institutional coverage. As a result, demand for candidates
with a regional client network is evident. Another notable area of growth is the entrance of new, smaller
businesses into the financial services sector, particularly within insurance.
The continuing recovery of the financial services sector in other centres, notably London, New York and
Singapore, means it is increasingly difficult for UAE-based companies to recruit or retain talent from
the expatriate community. The growing skills shortages are creating renewed concerns about losing top
performers to UAE-competitive or home-country opportunities.
Financial services company leaders are increasing spend on initiatives to enable growth, although this
will continue to be balanced against must-have corporate governance programmes that achieve
regulatory compliance.

roberthalf.ae

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

14

As well as hiring new professionals, financial services companies recognise that they need to continue to
invest in developing existing teams.

Skills and qualifications in demand

Multinational corporation experience

ACII qualified

Financial regulation experience (FSA,

Accounting software experience

Experts in complex risk modelling and

Western university degrees,

MAS, PRA, FINRA, Islamic Finance)

trading algorithms

(Oracle, Hyperion, SAP)

fluent in Arabic

Positions in demand
Regulatory compliance professionals
Financial crime professionals

(specifically fraud investigations, antibribery and corruption, and

anti-money laundering)

Brokers/product managers/

derivatives sales professionals

Fac/assistant underwriters
Corporate/private/

wealth credit managers

Remuneration trends
Although compliance is a strong driver of hiring additional resources, companies remain conscious of
budgets. The cost of regulatory compliance and financial investigations is adding to the burden of the
financial crisis and leading to generally marginal salary rises.
Candidates with a proven track record in the region and a strong personal network are best placed to
negotiate competitive offers as they can prove added value from the start.

roberthalf.ae

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

15

FINANCIAL SERVICES SALARIES

Job title

2015 (USD)

2016 (USD)

% change

RISK
Chief Risk Officer
Head of Risk Management
Head of Credit Risk
Credit Risk Manager
Senior Credit Risk Analyst
Credit Risk Analyst
Market Risk Manager
Senior Market Risk Analyst
Market Risk Analyst
Operational Risk Manager
Operational Risk Analyst
Credit Analysis Manager
Senior Credit Analyst
Credit Analyst

$ 263,500
$ 167,250
$ 172,250
$ 94,250
$ 81,250
$ 57,000
$ 109,500
$ 75,250
$ 43,750
$ 99,750
$ 61,500
$ 94,750
$ 57,500
$ 39,500

$ 535,250
$ 265,500
$ 329,750
$ 164,500
$ 100,250
$ 83,250
$ 164,000
$ 109,250
$ 77,750
$ 138,500
$ 103,250
$ 130,500
$ 94,000
$ 54,750

$ 269,750
$ 168,000
$ 173,250
$ 96,750
$ 81,500
$ 57,250
$ 111,750
$ 75,500
$ 44,500
$ 100,750
$ 62,500
$ 95,000
$ 58,500
$ 39,500

$ 545,750
$ 269,000
$ 333,750
$ 164,750
$ 101,750
$ 84,500
$ 166,500
$ 109,750
$ 78,750
$ 142,500
$ 104,250
$ 133,250
$ 95,500
$ 55,250

2.1%
1.0%
1.0%
1.1%
1.0%
1.1%
1.7%
0.4%
1.4%
2.1%
1.2%
1.3%
1.7%
0.5%

$
$
$
$
$
$

273,750
247,500
170,250
117,000
97,750
71,750

$ 405,000
$ 320,500
$ 235,750
$ 182,250
$ 122,500
$ 104,000

$ 274,500
$ 250,250
$ 172,250
$ 118,000
$ 98,750
$ 72,250

$ 412,250
$ 326,000
$ 237,250
$ 184,250
$ 124,250
$ 106,000

1.2%
1.5%
0.9%
1.0%
1.2%
1.4%

$
$
$
$
$
$

146,250
94,000
57,750
65,750
64,250
62,750

$ 326,000
$ 147,250
$ 89,250
$ 115,000
$ 85,250
$ 89,000

$
$
$
$
$
$

148,750
98,750
58,750
68,500
66,250
64,250

$ 328,750
$ 154,500
$ 91,000
$ 120,000
$ 88,250
$ 91,500

1.1%
5.0%
1.9%
4.2%
3.2%
2.3%

$ 490,000
$ 325,000
$ 109,000
$ 50,250
$ 213,750
$ 220,500
$ 147,000
$ 81,000

$ 559,000
$ 520,250
$ 164,750
$ 115,500
$ 463,250
$ 295,250
$ 215,000
$ 145,000

$ 490,500
$ 326,750
$ 110,250
$ 50,500
$ 214,250
$ 223,500
$ 149,500
$ 81,500

$ 565,500
$ 525,500
$ 164,750
$ 115,750
$ 471,250
$ 297,750
$ 216,750
$ 145,750

0.7%
0.8%
0.5%
0.3%
1.3%
1.1%
1.2%
0.6%

FRONT OFFICE, MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

Managing Director
Director
Vice President
Associate
Senior Analyst
Analyst

COMPLIANCE
Head of Compliance
Compliance Manager
Compliance Officer
Anti-Money Laundering Specialist
Fraud Investigator
Regulatory Specialist

WHOLESALE BANKING
Head of Wholesale Banking (GM*)
Head of Corporate Banking (GM*)
Senior Corporate (RM*)
Corporate (RM*)
Head of Transaction Banking (MD*)
Head of Trade Sales (ED*)
Trade Sales Director
Trade Sales Manager
* GM = General Manager

roberthalf.ae

MD = Managing Director

ED = Executive Director

RM = Regional Manager

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

16

FINANCIAL SERVICES SALARIES

Job title

2015 (USD)

2016 (USD)

% change

WHOLESALE BANKING (CONTINUED)

Head of Cash Management (ED*)
Cash Management Director
Cash Management Manager
Head of Product Management (ED*)
Trade Product Manager
Cash Product Manager
Head of Client Services (ED*)
Client Services Director
Client Services Manager

$ 220,000
$ 147,000
$ 81,250
$ 245,000
$ 150,000
$ 149,750
$ 225,750
$ 125,500
$ 80,000

$ 295,750
$ 215,000
$ 145,500
$ 260,000
$ 212,000
$ 211,500
$ 260,000
$ 150,000
$ 125,250

$ 222,500
$ 148,750
$ 82,500
$ 246,250
$ 150,750
$ 149,750
$ 225,750
$ 125,750
$ 80,500

$ 297,250
$ 215,500
$ 146,750
$ 264,750
$ 214,750
$ 214,500
$ 262,750
$ 150,750
$ 125,750

0.8%
0.6%
1.1%
1.2%
1.0%
0.8%
0.6%
0.4%
0.5%

$ 106,000 - $ 191,250 $ 106,500 - $ 191,750

$ 105,250 - $ 194,500 $ 106,250 - $ 196,500

0.3%
1.0%

$
$
$
$
$
$
$

162,000
145,750
81,000
81,250
58,250
64,750
58,250

$ 226,750
$ 259,250
$ 145,750
$ 160,000
$ 81,500
$ 113,500
$ 81,000

$
$
$
$
$
$
$

162,750
146,750
81,500
81,750
59,750
65,750
58,750

$
$
$
$
$
$
$

231,750
259,750
146,750
162,500
83,750
116,500
83,500

1.5%
0.4%
0.7%
1.2%
2.7%
2.2%
2.2%

$
$
$
$
$

223,750
126,250
98,750
60,750
49,750

$
$
$
$
$

$ 228,250
$ 132,750
$ 101,250
$ 61,500
$ 52,000

$ 285,250
$ 173,250
$ 114,500
$ 73,750
$ 65,000

3.1%
4.2%
2.4%
1.7%
4.0%

FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING**

Product Control
Fund Accountant

INSURANCE
Head of Business Development
Head of Line
Reinsurance Broker
Senior Underwriter
Assistant Underwriter
Business Development Manager
Account Manager

PRIVATE EQUITY AND ASSET MANAGEMENT

Vice President/Director
Assistant Vice President
Associate
Senior Analyst
Analyst

274,500
167,500
112,000
72,250
62,750

* ED = Executive Director
** For additional accounting and finance roles, please see pages 12 and 13.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

17

TECHNOLOGY HIRING

User experience is a strong focus for IT professionals when

implementing new initiatives

The hiring climate

The MEA region is leading the world in the speed at which it is adopting new technologies such as mobile
and cloud. According to the Cisco Cloud Index 201320181, the MEA region is set to post the worlds
highest cloud traffic growth rate, increasing more than eightfold. MEA will also post the worlds second
highest cloud data centre workload growth at 39%, second only to the Asia-Pacific region.
The UAE itself is one of the regions fastest growing adopters of enterprise resource planning (ERP)
software platforms. Companies are implementing ERP software in line with modernisation initiatives
and the need to boost transparency and international competitiveness, and this is driving demand for
professionals with Oracle and SAP experience in particular.
As with technology teams across the world, IT professionals are now being called on to lead technology
initiatives that have a stronger focus on user experience. As well as understanding how all the underlying
technology works, IT professionals need to be able to work closely and communicate with the business,
advising on and staying ahead of developments, big data, cloud, mobile and cyber security. IT skills and
qualifications in demand reflect these plans for expansion, and professionals with mobile, cloud and
infrastructure skills are becoming increasingly scarce, while IT security experts who can help protect their
organisations from attack are also highly valued.

www.cnmeonline.com/insight/2015-whats-in-store-for-uae-it/

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

18

Skills and qualifications in demand

ERP experience, including SAP

Degree educated with relevant

and Oracle

qualifications (PMP, ITIL, LEAN,

CCIE, CCNP)

Candidates with 1015 years

experience and local market exposure

CISSP for security professionals

Commercial and business acumen

Positions in demand
Project managers

Business analysts

IT managers

ERP experts

Remuneration trends
In line with previous years, technology salaries remain relatively stable. Differentials in salaries tend to be
industry rather than role focused, with the aviation sector offering the highest salaries due to strong demand.
Additional burgeoning industries such as financial services and construction need to act decisively to secure
their chosen candidates as well as offer a competitive remuneration and benefits package.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

19

TECHNOLOGY SALARIES

Job title

2015 (USD)

2016 (USD)

% change

LEADERSHIP
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Chief Security Officer (CSO)
Chief Architect
Director Information Technology
Information Technology Manager (10+ years experience)
Information Technology Manager (19 years experience)

$ 314,000
$ 284,250
$ 152,500
$ 152,250
$ 178,000
$ 101,500
$ 68,000

$ 439,000
$ 375,500
$ 243,500
$ 228,250
$ 295,000
$ 172,250
$ 127,500

$ 319,750
$ 284,250
$ 152,500
$ 152,750
$ 178,500
$ 102,500
$ 68,750

$ 447,500
$ 376,500
$ 245,500
$ 229,250
$ 298,000
$ 172,250
$ 127,750

1.9%
0.2%
0.5%
0.4%
0.7%
0.4%
0.5%

$ 102,000 - $ 173,000 $ 103,750 - $ 174,750

$ 80,750 - $ 113,500 $ 81,500 - $ 114,500
$ 65,750 - $ 82,500 $ 66,250 - $ 83,500

1.3%
0.9%
1.0%

$ 162,000 - $ 203,000 $ 162,750 - $ 205,500

$ 121,750 - $ 183,000 $ 121,750 - $ 185,500
$ 76,250 - $ 122,000 $ 76,500 - $ 122,500

0.9%
0.8%
0.4%

IT SECURITY
Security Engineer
Security Analyst
Security Administrator

APPLICATIONS
Development Manager
Product Manager
Applications Developer

BUSINESS ANALYSIS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Business Systems Manager
Senior Business Systems Analyst
Business Systems Analyst
Business Intelligence Manager
Senior Business Intelligence Specialist
Business Intelligence Specialist
Project Management Officer (PMO) Head
Project Management Officer (PMO) Analyst
Senior Project/Programme Manager
Project/Programme Manager

$ 150,000
$ 91,750
$ 61,000
$ 137,000
$ 122,500
$ 86,250
$ 172,000
$ 121,750
$ 130,000
$ 102,500

$ 210,000
$ 142,750
$ 123,250
$ 222,500
$ 172,500
$ 123,750
$ 253,750
$ 182,750
$ 195,000
$ 180,250

$ 150,500
$ 93,750
$ 61,500
$ 139,250
$ 123,500
$ 88,250
$ 172,750
$ 122,250
$ 130,500
$ 103,750

$ 212,750
$ 145,750
$ 124,250
$ 224,500
$ 175,500
$ 124,750
$ 256,750
$ 184,750
$ 195,750
$ 180,750

0.9%
2.1%
0.8%
1.2%
1.4%
1.4%
0.9%
0.8%
0.4%
0.6%

$ 81,000 - $ 126,750 $ 81,500 - $ 128,750

$ 60,750 - $ 86,750 $ 60,750 - $ 88,750
$ 35,500 - $ 71,250 $ 35,750 - $ 71,750

1.2%
1.4%
0.7%

SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION
Senior Systems Analyst
Systems Analyst
Systems Administrator

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

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TECHNOLOGY SALARIES

Job title

2015 (USD)

2016 (USD)

% change

ARCHITECTURE
Enterprise Architect (16+ years experience)
Enterprise Architect (1015 years experience)
Enterprise Architect (69 years experience)
Solutions Architect (16+ years experience)
Solutions Architect (1015 years experience)
Solutions Architect (69 years experience)

$ 182,750
$ 127,250
$ 91,750
$ 182,500
$ 127,000
$ 91,500

$ 254,250
$ 182,750
$ 126,750
$ 243,500
$ 182,750
$ 127,500

$ 184,750
$ 129,250
$ 93,750
$ 186,250
$ 128,500
$ 92,750

$ 261,250
$ 185,750
$ 128,750
$ 245,750
$ 184,750
$ 128,500

2.1%
1.6%
1.8%
1.4%
1.1%
1.0%

$ 120,500
$ 101,500
$ 67,250
$ 60,750

$ 223,500
$ 152,250
$ 101,500
$ 91,750

$ 126,500
$ 105,500
$ 69,250
$ 61,750

$ 226,500
$ 152,250
$ 102,750
$ 92,750

2.6%
1.6%
1.9%
1.3%

$ 101,500 - $ 182,750 $ 102,500 - $ 184,750

$ 61,250 - $ 101,500 $ 61,750 - $ 102,500

1.1%
0.9%

$ 61,250 - $ 92,500 $
$ 61,250 - $ 81,750 $

0.5%
1.7%

NETWORKING
Network Architect
Network Manager
Network Engineer
Network Administrator

DATA/DATABASE ADMINISTRATION
Database Developer
Database Administrator

TECHNICAL SERVICES
Senior Technical Support Specialist
Technical Support Specialist

roberthalf.ae

61,750 $ 92,750
61,750 - $ 83,750

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

21

HUMAN RESOURCES
AND ADMINISTRATION HIRING

48%

of HR leaders say that a lack of niche,

technical experts is holding back their
recruitment efforts

The hiring climate

The continued business evolution in the UAE and MEA regions is fuelling demand for talented HR professionals
who can help develop and upskill existing employees to make sure they are as productive as possible and are
aligned with commercial objectives.
There remains a trend for companies to maximise the cost-effectiveness of their HR operations by
centralising or decentralising processes and outsourcing them to third-party providers operating offshore
in India or Eastern Europe. However, companies in the UAE increasingly require specialist HR skills that
can help them align with their European counterparts, and they are particularly interested in finding
candidates with multinational corporate experience.
Industries showing the strongest demand for talented human resources professionals include FMCG,
pharmaceutical, construction, retail, hospitality and boutique investment firms. Companies in these sectors
are the most likely to develop their teams in anticipation of imminent revenue growth, so require HR
support to both fill their vacant positions and ensure compliance.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

22

This need for technical skills and knowledge is creating challenges for heads of HR in the region.
Almost half (48%) of senior HR leaders say that a lack of niche, technical experts is holding back their
recruitment efforts, while a further 30% say that general demand for talented professionals is causing
concerns. Lack of commercial and business skills among potential candidates is a problem for 15%,
while a small minority (7%) say that the general slowdown in hiring during the recession has resulted in
a lack of candidates with the right skills.
There is particular pressure on the supply of HR professionals with specialist skills in learning and
development, remuneration and benefits, and organisational culture. Those with longer term tenure in
previous roles and 15-plus years experience are in highest demand.

Spotlight on administrative hiring

Increasing the number of support staff on the team tends to go hand in hand with anticipated
growth as organisations seek to free up sales and business development professionals to build
the pipeline and focus on customer engagement.
This explains the increase in organisations that predict they will add new administrative
support employees in the year ahead. While 28% of HR directors said they would recruit extra
headcount, however, more than half (55%) said they would only fill vacant positions, indicating
that there is still some way to go before the majority of UAE businesses feel confident enough to
build admin teams beyond their current size.
As ever, specialist technical skills, communication skills and flexibility are all in demand from
skilled administrative professionals. This is being fuelled by a growing emphasis on excellent
customer service and the adoption of social media channels by organisations across all
vertical sectors as well as the ongoing reliance on technology-based business processes.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

23

Skills and qualifications in demand

Change management and people
management skills

Multinational corporation experience

with a strong knowledge of UAE
employment laws

HR system knowledge, including SAP

and Oracle as well as performance
management applications

CIPD/SHRM qualified, preferably with

a degree in HR or psychology

Positions in demand
Recruitment specialists

Senior HR directors

Payroll managers

Senior learning and

HR officers

72%

development managers

of HR leaders are concerned about losing

top performers in the next 12 months

Remuneration trends
Almost three-quarters (72%) of HR leaders are concerned about losing top performers to other job
opportunities in the next year and will take proactive steps to retain their best employees. These initiatives
are likely to include higher remuneration 40% of HR leaders say that they will increase salaries in the
year ahead, while 29% will pay out higher bonuses. On average, HR leaders expect to award salary
increases of 6.2%*.

This figure is based on HR leaders own predicted pay rises for existing employees and is not an average from the Robert Half UAE 2016 Salary Guide.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

24

HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION SALARIES

Job title

2015 (USD)

2016 (USD)

% change

HUMAN RESOURCES
HR Director
Head of HR
Regional HR Manager
HR Manager/HR Business Partner
HR Generalist
HR Analyst
HR Officer

$ 164,500
$ 143,000
$ 112,000
$ 80,750
$ 58,500
$ 64,250
$ 49,000

$ 255,000
$ 168,500
$ 193,000
$ 144,250
$ 81,250
$ 97,500
$ 65,500

$
$
$
$
$
$
$

171,000
147,000
114,250
82,500
59,750
65,500
49,750

$ 265,250
$ 171,000
$ 196,750
$ 147,250
$ 83,250
$ 98,250
$ 66,000

4.0%
2.1%
2.0%
2.1%
2.3%
1.2%
1.1%

$ 115,250 - $ 170,500 $ 115,500 - $ 172,500

$ 81,000 - $ 129,750 $ 81,750 - $ 131,000
$ 48,500 - $ 81,000 $ 48,750 - $ 81,750

0.8%
0.9%
0.8%

$ 114,000 - $ 170,000 $ 119,700 - $ 178,500

$ 112,000 - $ 170,500 $ 115,000 - $ 170,500
$ 78,250 - $ 99,500 $ 80,500 - $ 110,750

5.0%
1.1%
7.6%

$ 110,750 - $ 189,500 $ 112,500 - $ 192,750

$ 80,250 - $ 116,250 $ 81,750 - $ 117,500

1.7%
1.4%

$
$
$
$

2.0%
3.9%
4.0%
2.0%

RECRUITMENT
Head of Recruitment
Recruitment Manager
Recruitment Specialist

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Head of Learning and Development
Talent/Organisational Development Manager
Learning and Development Manager

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Head of Compensation and Benefits
Compensation and Benefits Manager

ADMINISTRATION
Operations/Payroll Manager
Executive Assistant
Personal Assistant
Office Manager

80,250
64,500
48,500
71,750

$
$
$
$

129,750
91,250
71,250
113,000

$
$
$
$

81,750
67,000
50,500
73,250

$ 132,500
$ 94,750
$ 74,000
$ 115,250

* Please note: salaries vary based on sector and coverage, with banking, financial services, government, established family businesses and global roles
paying slightly higher than market rate.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

25

LEGAL HIRING

Corporates are strengthening their internal teams to reduce

reliance on external counsel

The hiring climate

Growth in the regions construction sector, the successful bid for Expo 2020 and increased investment in
the property market as an asset class will have a positive impact on the legal sector. Demand for legal
professionals with experience of the construction market will be in particular demand as big projects
get under way.
Increased M&A activity predicted for the region will create additional demand for legal professionals who
can demonstrate skills and experience in this area of business.
There is an additional trend for corporates to seek cost efficiencies by strengthening their internal
legal departments to reduce their reliance on external counsel. Lawyers with litigation and compliance
experience are being sought by companies that are hiring internal legal professionals.
As organisations in the region seek to align their internal controls and corporate governance with Western
counterparts, they are increasingly seeking legal professionals with experience of working in developing
countries and with a Western university degree. Bilingual paralegals and document reviewers are in
particular demand as legal teams look for assistance with reviewing contracts and documents in both
Arabic and English.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

26

Growing demand for bilingual paralegals who can assist with

reviewing contracts and documents in Arabic and English

Skills and qualifications in demand

Western qualified

Regional exposure, Arabic speaking

International commercial experience

Positions in demand
Mid-level (510 years PQE) lawyers

Contract specialists

Real estate lawyers

Paralegals

Corporate/commercial lawyers

Remuneration trends
In common with all professional hiring in the region, legal recruitment is following two broad trends. While
corporates are broadly conservative about growing their teams too quickly as they prepare for growth, they
are willing to make higher offers to legal professionals with exactly the right blend of skills and experience.
This demand for highly skilled lawyers is rising, and companies need to be able to offer increased
starting salaries to attract suitable candidates. Bonuses are being awarded on the basis of personal and
company performance.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

27

LEGAL SALARIES

Job title

2015 (USD)

2016 (USD)

% change

IN-HOUSE
Chief Legal Officer/Head of Legal/General Counsel
Regional Legal Counsel
Legal Manager
Legal Counsel (69 years experience)
Legal Counsel (35 years experience)
Legal Counsel (02 years experience)
Paralegal (69 years experience)
Paralegal (35 years experience)
Paralegal (02 years experience)
Legal Secretary
Legal Assistant

$ 268,500
$ 202,500
$ 152,500
$ 168,500
$ 93,750
$ 60,250
$ 95,750
$ 68,250
$ 34,250
$ 68,250
$ 34,000

$ 406,000
$ 252,750
$ 202,250
$ 219,750
$ 162,500
$ 94,500
$ 131,500
$ 104,750
$ 68,750
$ 106,250
$ 69,250

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

269,750
213,750
153,750
169,750
94,750
60,750
96,250
69,750
34,500
69,250
34,000

$ 416,750
$ 253,500
$ 206,750
$ 224,500
$ 164,750
$ 96,500
$ 136,250
$ 107,500
$ 69,500
$ 107,250
$ 70,250

1.8%
2.6%
1.6%
1.5%
1.3%
1.6%
2.3%
2.5%
1.0%
1.1%
1.0%

$ 275,500
$ 207,250
$ 155,000
$ 120,500
$ 69,250
$ 104,250
$ 87,000
$ 52,000

$ 387,750
$ 292,750
$ 212,000
$ 174,500
$ 121,500
$ 146,500
$ 105,750
$ 89,750

$ 275,250
$ 208,500
$ 156,500
$ 121,750
$ 69,750
$ 107,750
$ 87,250
$ 53,500

$ 395,500
$ 295,500
$ 216,000
$ 176,750
$ 122,750
$ 146,750
$ 107,500
$ 90,250

1.1%
0.8%
1.5%
1.2%
0.9%
1.0%
1.0%
1.4%

PRIVATE PRACTICE
Senior Partner
Partner
Senior Associate
Mid-level Associate
Junior Associate
Senior Paralegal
Mid-level Paralegal
Paralegal

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

28

ADDITIONAL REMUNERATION TRENDS

For most professionals, salary is only one part of the picture. When offered multiple roles, other factors
come into play, including potential bonuses and employee benefits. As the skills shortage intensifies,
employers will need to revisit their overall remuneration strategies to make sure they are keeping up with
industry benchmarks.

Employees wish lists (non-financial)

20%

16%

52%
8%

4%

52%

Flexible working

20%

More annual leave

16%

Remote working

8%

Other perks

4%

Additional training
and development

(such as childcare, laundry and

ironing services, fitness centre)

Source: Robert Half survey of 75 UAE CFOs.

Reasons employees are being offered pay rises

43%

Technical competency

41%

Time since last pay rise

33%

Professionalism

31%

Tenure

31%

Willingness to learn/advance

27%

Willingness to take on additional tasks

Source: Robert Half survey of 75 UAE HR directors. Multiple responses permitted.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

29

HIRING FOR THE RIGHT CULTURAL FIT

A job isnt just a job. Successfully filling any position in your organisation requires more than just
finding someone who can fulfil the role. Besides technical skills, the ideal candidate will also have the
interpersonal qualities to fit well within a larger mosaic: your company culture.
But how can you tell someone is a good job match from just an interview? Well, you cant. At least not
entirely. But you can create opportunities for you and the candidate to compare insights on individual work
styles. Here are some ideas:

Demonstrate what makes you different. Highlight the unique attributes of your culture on your
website and in job postings. Also, make sure your hiring managers can readily articulate why your
business is a great place to work. Help them capture in words the essence of your companys
atmosphere and people.

Introduce the team. When you invite candidates in for interviews, give them an opportunity to talk to
other employees. This can offer them additional perspectives into what its really like to work for your
company. Later, you can ask your team how well they feel the person would do in the job.

Ask the right interview questions, such as:

What makes them want to come to work every day?
Does workplace competition motivate or discourage them? Do they enjoy building relationships with
clients, or do they love behind-the-scenes problem-solving? Look for candidates whose passion
matches your culture.
Why do they want to work for you?
Your best prospects will go beyond your products and business stability and touch on aspects of your
culture. Do you get a sense your work environment would stimulate them?
Can they describe their work style?
Some professionals will say theyre most productive when they work independently; others work
better when theyre part of a team. Some prefer brainstorming sessions over well-organised meetings.
Do you think this person can find personal job satisfaction working for your company?
The most important aspect of company culture is authenticity. If you mimic the hallmarks of other firms
instead of reflecting who you really are, its going to be tough to hire people who will work in sync with
your team. Make sure the culture demonstrated in your external communications activities is reflected in
your HR and recruitment strategy.

roberthalf.ae

Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

30

ROBERT HALF: MORE THAN

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Your recruitment expert

Robert Half is the worlds leading specialised recruitment consultancy. Through our Robert Half Finance
& Accounting, Robert Half Financial Services, Robert Half Technology, Robert Half Human Resources
and Robert Half Legal divisions, we place the markets most highly skilled professionals. We also offer
global consulting and internal audit services through our Protiviti subsidiary, which helps companies
solve problems in finance, technology, operations, governance, risk and internal audit.

Benefits we offer your business include:

Immediate attention. Time is money when youre seeking reinforcements for your team.
Our recruitment consultants, who commonly possess specific industry experience, are
trained to find our clients top professionals who can start right away. But saving you time
doesnt mean a rushed process. Our access to both active and passive candidates makes
sure you receive the talent best suited to your needs and culture.
Spreading the net. Our recruitment professionals dont work in silos. By tapping into our
extensive internal and global networks, they collaborate with colleagues near and far to find
the best matches. These are all reasons you dont have to look beyond Robert Half for your
recruitment needs.
Turnkey results. Companies, especially those with limited resources, dont want to spend
time on a lot of details when recruiting. We handle all aspects of the hiring process for you
from candidate sourcing and interviews to skills evaluations and reference checks.
Personalised solutions. Anyone can post a job online and get a lot of responses. Its easy
and it doesnt cost much. But it takes a lot more than a computer to find candidates who
are closely suited to your needs. That comes only through working directly with recruitment
professionals. While we, too, take full advantage of the latest technology tools, its the
personal service we provide our clients that were known for.
Contact Robert Half at roberthalf.ae or +974 4 382 6700 to learn more about how we can help you find
the right talent for your organisation.

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Robert Half | 2016 Salary Guide

31

+974 4 3826700
roberthalf.ae

2015 Robert Half. An Equal Opportunity Employer. RH-0915-ARE-ENG