Looking for a job overseas?
Try the Middle East.
A survey by Gulf Business, a Middle East magazine, found that expats from ‘the west’ are paid more than expats from Asia or elsewhere in the Middle East in exactly the same roles. This applies in the six countries that comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which is made up of Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
Gulf Businessfound that a western expat in Saudi Arabia is paid, on average, six per cent more than an Arab expat and 30 per cent more than an Asian one. Asian expats are the lowest paid across the region.
The country with the biggest differences is the United Arab Emirates, which includes the cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Both locations are popular with Australian expats and the survey found that western expats earn up to 40 per cent more than their Arab or Asian colleagues.
The pay differential is considered to be because workers from western countries have higher expectations of base salaries and ‘perks’ when moving from their home location. The extras can include housing, school fees, relocation expenses, motor vehicle and driver, housekeeping and annual trips home.
But Joshua Yim of Singapore recruitment firm, Achieve Group, believes it also has historical roots.
“Westerners are perceived as superior,” he said. “They are perceived as more advanced and savvy due to their cultural background, history of technological innovations and outside-the-square thinking. In contrast, there is also a view – rightly or wrongly - that Asians are more confined to traditional and conservative thinking patterns.”
He added that perception is shifting.
Question:
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