Dubai: Expats have recognised the UAE as the fourth best destination globally for an international career, according to new data released by HSBC’s annual Expat Explorer Survey.
Data showed that the country improved from sixth place in 2015, to claim a position as one of the places expats most look to in order to build their careers. The UAE ranked as the best country in the Middle East and Asia, and followed Switzerland, Germany and Sweden, which were respectively the top destinations for a career abroad.
HSBC study examined the responses of nearly 27,000 expats from across the world, and 3,092 in the UAE, to assess their views towards their careers in their host countries. New data examined the views of people towards their host countries across eight categories: chances to acquire new skills; work-life balance; work culture; career progression; fulfilling work; benefits packages; and earnings prospects. The UAE improved across all eight indicators in comparison to the views of expats in 2015, indicating the continually improving work environment for people in the country.
Career prospects
Among the primary reasons expats highlighted the UAE as one of the top international career destinations was for its earnings prospects (ranked 3rd), and the benefits packages offered by employers (5th). Earnings prospects is an area that the UAE is consistently recognised for, with average salaries here being 14 per cent higher than the global average. Nearly two-thirds of expats in the country (65 per cent) said that they earn more than in their home country; only Switzerland (75 per cent) and Qatar (66 per cent) had a higher proportion of people that associated with this view.
In terms of benefits packages offered by employers, the Middle East and Africa region led the with Saudi Arabia (95 per cent), Egypt (94 per cent), Oman (94 per cent), Kenya (93 per cent), and UAE (93 per cent) making up the top five countries where the highest proportion of expats say they receive benefits as part of their employment packages. According to the survey, over 9 in 10 expats (91 per cent) living in the Middle East receive at least one benefit as part of their contracts, compared to the global average of 67 per cent. In the UAE, for instance, 56 per cent of expats said they receive an accommodation allowance and 75 per cent receive health benefits.
“Through the results of the research, it’s not surprising to see that the UAE continues to be rated highly globally for the financial benefits it offers. This has been one of the cornerstones of why people seek career opportunities here and it is indicative of the success of the government’s focus on diversification, which has resulted in the creation of an internationally recognised and sought after working environment with world-class infrastructure and services. Given these advantages, expats moving to and living in the UAE should look to make the best of their lives abroad,” said Kunal Malani, Head of Customer Value Management, MENA, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC Middle East
Career progression
The UAE ranked among the top ten (8th) in terms of career progression, with over half (54 per cent) of expats recognising this to be the case since they moved from their home countries. While places such as Hong Kong, Singapore, UK and US were ranked in the first four positions in this area, expats in these countries highlighted that this is offset by a poor work-life balance, with all of these countries being below the global average in that category.
In terms of the UAE, while the country was much closer to the global average when it came to work-life balance (24th), it was rated highly for work culture (11th). Additionally, over half of expats (54 per cent) stated that moving to the country gave them a chance to acquire new skills and that their work here is more fulfilling (51 per cent).
