Doha: With rents rising at an unprecedented pace in Qatar, housing allowance by companies to employees have also surged. Compared to other GCC countries, housing allowance is highest in Qatar and ranges between $21,000 to $53,000 across job roles, according to the latest GCC Allowances and Benefits Survey by Aon Hewitt.
Housing allowance in Qatar and the UAE is about 35-40 percent of basic pay while it is usually only 25 percent in other GCC countries. Children’s education assistance is also highest in Qatar and ranges from $8,000 to $17,000 per child across job roles.
“Increased demand spurred by a surging population means Qatar rent and house prices are also on the rise,” said Robert Richter, Compensation Survey Manager at Aon Hewitt Middle East. “At Aon Hewitt we help companies attract and retain the right talent and inevitably some companies will not be able to afford to keep up with the change in demand, resulting in the migration of talent between organisations. However, we do anticipate that organisations will start revising their allowances such as housing in the interest of talent retention,” he said.
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.
The Peninsula
