An online study, conducted by Bayt and market research specialist YouGovSiraj, revealed that 37 percent of the respondents are planning to leave UAE, seeking job elsewhere to improve their finances.

The survey conducted among 15,000 employees in six GCC countries, covering 20 industrial sectors, including finance, automotive, advertising, pharmaceuticals and information technology, revealed that high cost of living in the region, has far surpassed the wage increase granted by companies across the GCC in various sectors.

“The difference was most pronounced in Qatar, with an increase in average cost of living by 38 percent, which is 22 percent higher than salary increases. In Dubai, the living expense has risen by 37 percent, representing a gap of 20 percent,” the study indicated.

A worker in Al Quoz, who spoke to ‘Gulf News’ mentioned that she plans to quit her job due to the measly income that she is drawing, which is hardly sufficient to cope with the high cost of transportation, housing and food in Dubai. She mentioned that she used to save more money while working in Kuwait years ago, where food and accommodation was provided by her employer. The Chief Executive Officer of YouGovSiraj, Nassim Ghrayeb, says “Considering the number of employees planning to relocate or quit current jobs, the businesses will also soon begin to feel the pinch.”

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