LONDON: Forget feeling guilty about bothering the IT manager with your minor computer quibbles — they are probably going to get a bigger pay rise than you this year.
People working in the IT sector in the Gulf are more optimistic than their peers in other industries about their pay prospects, according to a new survey from Hays Recruiting.
The figures are based on those surveyed who had previously answered "yes" when asked if they anticipated any change to their salary this year.
More than a third (34 percent) of IT professionals surveyed said they realistically expected their salary to increase by more than 15 percent this year. Just five percent expected their wage packet to decline in 2018.
Those working in sales were similarly optimistic, with 34 percent of those expecting a salary change anticipating a hike of more than 15 percent. The construction, property and engineering industry came in third, with 31 percent anticipating a similarly healthy wage increase.
Finance and accounting professionals were more cautious, with 26 percent predicting an increase of more than 15 percent, while close to a third said they were expecting a more conservative raise of 5-10 percent.
“We are noticing increased hiring activity within the IT and technology markets thanks largely to a growing focus on digitalization by organizations of all sizes and across all sectors in the GCC,” Tom Turpin, business manager, IT, Hays Gulf Region told Arab News.
In the UAE specifically, initiatives such as Expo 2020 and the Dubai Smart Government Programme will further fuel demand for IT expertise.
“As such, it is not surprising that there is added optimism from IT professionals with regards to their salaries,” Turpin said.
He added that those higher salaries will however only go to those with the right skills and expertise “that are less readily in supply.”
“With this in mind, IT professionals most in demand and able to negotiate optimal pay rates are Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Blockchain, Big Data and digital transformation specialists,” he said.
Hiring and salaries in the construction industry will depend very much on what Saudi Arabia does next, said Peter Greaves, partner at the Dubai-based recruitment firm Transearch.
“Saudi Arabia is gearing up for a massive spend, not just globally in terms of diversification, but domestically and that will drive the construction companies,” he told Arab News. “Everything hinges on Saudi Arabia.”
He added that Dubai continues to offer “enough work” at the moment as it prepares for Expo 2020, adding that there is “very little” on the development side with the focus on building the required infrastructure.
“There is work here. I wouldn’t say it has an impact on salaries. There was such fallout from 2008 onwards it is a buyer’s market — so I don’t see that having impact on salaries,” he said.
