Allowances in UAE: How does your package stack up?

Dubai: Many companies may be hesitant to adjust compensation packages this year, but the UAE and Qatar are the most generous in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region when it comes to housing and education allowances.

Data released by Aon Hewitt showed that housing allowance and children’s education assistance across the GCC are highest in Qatar, averaging $37,000. Allowances in the UAE are second on the list, ranging from $20,000 to $53,000 for housing and $8,000 to 12,000 for education.

Oman has the lowest housing allowance, which ranges between $13,000 and $44,000. Workers in the sultanate also have the lowest children’s education assistance in the GCC, which can fall anywhere between $5,000 and $9,000.

Housing allowance in the UAE and Qatar represents 35 to 40 per cent of an employee’s basic pay. For the rest of the GCC, the allowance is usually equivalent to 25 per cent of the basic salary.