General managers in the UAE are the best rewarded in the GCC, according to our very own Hotelier Middle East Salary Survey 2009, which took in almost 500 hoteliers across a range of roles and countries.
Regionally, the average monthly salary for a GM is around $9,900, but this figure falls to $8,750 for GMs of properties that have three stars or less, while rising to an average $12,000 for five-star GMs.
The 2009 Salary Survey discovered very little difference in the average salaries of GMs working across business, city and resort hotels; however, one factor that does make a difference is the country in which the hotel is located.
Although at the heart of a tourism boom, GMs in Kuwait can expect an average monthly wage of $7,875, while their colleagues based in Saudi Arabia will take home $10,750. At the top of the heap are GMs working in the United Arab Emirates who average a monthly salary of $13,370.
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“It is very interesting to see the salary variants for GMs in the different locations,” commented Hospitality Graduate Recruitment MD Jeff Ross.
“One could perhaps argue that it is tougher to run a hotel in Kuwait that it is in the UAE; therefore, the salaries are not 'fair'. It is surprising that the variants are so large between these destinations, although is also likely there are many more highly-paid five-star GMs in the UAE than in Kuwait, of course.”
In figures – regional GM earnings:
$3,000 – $4,500: 4.8%
$4,500 – $6,000: 4.8%
$6,000 – $7,500: 0%
$7,500 – $10,500: 28.6%
$10,500 – $13,500: 4.8%
$13,500 – $15,000: 14.3%
$15,000 – $30,000: 19%
Regional average - $9,900
Three stars or less - $8,750
Five-stars - $12,000
Saudi GM: $10,750
Kuwait GM: $7,875
UAE GM: $13,370
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