Housing allowance and children’s education assistance are the highest in Qatar among all GCC countries, according to the findings of a new survey.
With rental costs increasing at an “unprecedented” rate in Qatar, companies are implementing new measures to shift their budget allocation. This makes organisations in the country among the highest spending in terms of allowances and benefits in the GCC, the latest GCC Allowances and Benefits Survey has found.
The survey is conducted by Aon Hewitt, the global talent, retirement and health solutions business of Aon plc. The largest report of its kind in the GCC, the survey is based on an analysis of over 100 companies across different sectors.
Housing allowance in Qatar ranges between $21,000 and $53,000 across job roles.
Housing allowance in Qatar and the UAE is in the region of 35-40% of basic pay. This is usually 25% for the rest of the GCC.
Children’s education assistance in Qatar ranges from $8,000 to $17,000 per child across job roles.
The most commonly provided allowances and benefits in the GCC are housing, transportation, children’s education assistance and home leave benefits. Housing and transportation is typically provided on a monthly basis as a cash payment, while children’s education and home leave benefits are usually provided at the actual cost of school fees or cost of the ticket, respectively.
Robert Richter, compensation survey manager at Aon Hewitt Middle East, said: “Increased demand spurred by a surging population means Qatar rent and house prices are also on the rise.”
The report also measures furniture and relocation allowance, end of service benefits, life and accident assurance, long-term disability, private medical benefits, loans, mobile phones, home leave benefit and annual leave entitlements.
Following is a comparison of average housing allowance and children’s education assistance across the GCC countries:
Housing allowance (average amount):
Country Start range End range
Qatar $21,000 $53,000
UAE $20,000 $53,000
Saudi Arabia $16,000 $53,000
Bahrain $15,000 $56,000
Kuwait $14,000 $46,000
Oman $13,000 $44,000
Children’s education assistance (average amount)
Country Start range End range
Qatar $8,000 $17,000
UAE $8,000 $12,000
Kuwait $7,000 $16,000
Bahrain $7,000 $12,000
Oman $5,000 $9,000
