Some people work purely for the love of the job, but for most of us here in the Gulf, it’s the pay cheque at the end of the month that makes it all worthwhile. So when the words ‘salary increase’ are mentioned and the prospect of that pay cheque getting bigger becomes a possibility, it tends to provoke quite a strong reaction in most.

If you’re one of those people, the good news is that, according to human resources consultancy Aon Hewitt, your salary is set to increase next year; but the real question is, by how much?

Well, it’s good news if you work in Saudi Arabia or Oman, because a 5.4 per cent rise - the highest in the region - has been forecast for 2015. However, for those working in Bahrain, the news isn’t quite so good as although you’re still set for a salary increase, it’s the lowest forecasted in the region, at 4.5 per cent.

Bahrain gets the lowest increase in the region.
Oman will have the joint highest increase in the Gulf.

The UAE meanwhile sits somewhere in the middle, with a 4.8 per cent growth forecast for next year, while people working in Qatar and Kuwait can expect a slightly better return with 5.2 and 5.3 per cent rises respectively.

The figures, based on data collected from 500 companies in the Middle East, including 177 based in the UAE, seem to present a positive outlook, but Aon has stressed that they are forecasts only, and actually salary increases will vary among each company. So don’t go banging on your boss’s door with this article as proof you need a wage rise!

Details: visit Aon.com