This year's salary survey results are in. This year's salary survey results are in.

Over the years, the Hotelier Middle East Salary Survey has generally uncovered a workforce that feels underpaid and concerned about the future. This year, a few streaks of light may suggest a new dawn for sentiment and salaries ...

The hands of history are still developing the Middle East’s hospitality industry, revealing a polarised picture of the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

While the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue to break arrival and occupancy levels, countries such as Egypt and Tunisia are battling to recover to tourism levels witnessed in 2010.

It’s very much a story of perceived safe havens making the most of those travellers shunning countries that are still associated by many across the globe with images of violence and disruption.

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Having said all this, the Hotelier Middle East Salary Survey 2013 reveals other trends, a few of which could be seen as positive. It would appear wages are increasing, certainly among lower paid workers, and overall sentiment also appears to be on the rise. But before we tackle the facts and get into the ‘whys and hows’, let’s take a look at our valued respondents.

Once again it was the UAE that supplied the majority of respondents (72.5%), with 7.7% working in Qatar and 6.8% in Saudi Arabia. Our Egyptian contingent made up 2.4% of total survey takers, while six hoteliers in Bahrain also took part.

Just over half of those surveyed (51.9%) work in a city hotel, with 5.3% working in a boutique property. Hotel apartment workers were represented by 24 survey takers and 83 resort workers offered their views in the survey.

Just under two thirds of respondents (65.3%) work for an international hotel company, 18.2% for a local firm and 16.5% for a regional organisation.

Not surprisingly, considering the majority of respondents are based in the UAE, 65.6% of those surveyed work in a five-star property. Seventy one work in a four-star establishment while 4.6% work in a three-star hotel. A further 4.6% work in a property with no rating.

Reflecting the transient nature of the region and the battle employers are facing to retain staff in a climate with such a robust pipeline, it is little surprise that 43.1% of respondents have been with their current employer for less than three years. Only 18.4% had been with their employer for more than 10 years.

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