Within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), companies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are projecting the biggest growth at 5.9 percent each, a study by Aon Hewitt, a human resource consulting and outsourcing solutions business of Aon Corporation, said. Based on the survey it conducted on the annual increment on salaries in the Middle East, the average increase of salaries for next year in the region will be 6.3 percent. People working in the UAE are expected to get a 5.2 percent pay hike in 2012. Overall, salaries for employees in the Middle East are projected to see an increase of about 6.3 percent next year. Companies in Egypt, Yemen, Jordan and Lebanon anticipates the highest rises in 2012, with Egypt projecting salary increases of 10 percent, nearly double the average of 5.4 percent in the GCC. At the global level, the Indian and Chinese firms were the most positive in terms of salary increase, reaching about 12.8 percent for India and 9.6 percent for China. Regional Chief Executive of Aon Hewitt Dr. Marx Wisner said in light of projected increases in salaries, the effects of recent events on the GCC in particular, and the Middle East in general, appeared less than those in other parts of the world.
