Posted on May 29, 2024
One in five professionals in GCC currently working remote or hybrid.
One-third of firms plan to expand their hybrid offering to attract and retain staff.
One-fifth of professionals in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) enjoy some form of remote or hybrid work arrangement in their companies, according to the latest research by GulfTalent.
GulfTalent’s study was based on a survey of 4,000 professionals and 1,000 managers based in the region. It found that the most common format of remote work is 2 days per week from home and 3 days at the workplace.
Among the six GCC countries, the UAE has emerged as the most remote-friendly country, while Qatar has the lowest adoption of remote work.
Startup firms and multinational corporations lead in remote work, in contrast with large local firms and government entities which have the lowest rate. Among industries, IT and Advertising most prominently embrace remote work, while Construction and Manufacturing do so the least, mainly due to the nature of their work.
Among companies currently practicing hybrid work, one-third plan to expand their hybrid arrangements further, while 13% plan to reduce or potentially eliminate remote work altogether.
GulfTalent’s study enquired about employer motivations when allowing or disallowing remote work. Among companies that practice remote work, the most common reasons given were improved productivity, longer working hours, higher staff retention, and cost savings through reduced rental space.
On the other hands, surveyed companies that did not allow remote work cited its negative impact on collaboration, productivity and team bonding, as well as data confidentiality risks. Some also reported that the job required physical contact and was impossible to perform remotely.
Impact on Productivity
The survey found that remote work can boost productivity when employees have their own quiet work space at home, live more than 1 hour away from the office, and their work is mainly individual in nature, requiring limited collaboration. On the other hand, working remote can result in a productivity hit when employees live in shared rooms or have small children at home.
Hybrid workers with a separate workspace at home reported a net 36% increase in productivity when working at home. By contrast, employees sharing a room with noisy roommates experienced a net 48% drop in productivity at home.
Work-life Balance
According to the survey results, hybrid workers report much higher satisfaction with their work-life balance, compared to their office-based peers. This is strongest among employees with long commute times to work.
Based on the survey findings, female employees are almost twice as likely to work from home as their male counterparts.
The study found that the vast majority of office-based employees would switch jobs if it allowed them to work partly from home. This includes 70% who are ready to switch to a hybrid job without any pay increase, and a further 9% who would make the jump even if it involved a pay cut. The study concludes that GCC companies can use hybrid arrangements to improve staff retention while moderating the pressure for salary increases.
GulfTalent’s research was based on an online survey of 5,000 professionals based across the six countries of the GCC and employed in different industries. The full report can be viewed at Remote Work Trends in the Gulf.
Read the full report
Key Topics Covered: Current Remote Work Practices Impact on Productivity Impact on Work-life Balance Employee Engagement and Development Recommendations for Employers |
Read Full Report |
3 months ago
Mariam
Working online allows me to connect with people worldwide, offering timely help and drawing from extensive information. This way, I can learn and grow through diverse human interactions, making my assistance more personal and effective.
3 months ago
Humaira Amin
Very useful
3 months ago
SRAJAN
Nice and appreciate it thanks for progress of current work.
3 months ago
Eurenia Chikanele
World class, thumbs up
3 months ago
Eurenia Chikanele
Very interesting good and useful
3 months ago
Muhammad Sajjad
Thanks for publishing... Informative indeed!
3 months ago
Dulz
Very convenient and time saving. Less expenses and more flexible
3 months ago
Sunil
Very valuable information.wish I could work from home as Logistics professional
3 months ago
Mehdi
Useful for job seekers.<br />
3 months ago
Yussuf maalim adan
Thanks soo much useful information
3 months ago
Heru
Very interesting, save time and quality time
3 months ago
Imran
Very interesting indeed
3 months ago
Fawzan Saad
this information shows the trending of remote work efficient business module... thanks for sharing
3 months ago
Belhorma
This is a great initiative
3 months ago
Anton fernando
Interesting and saves time
3 months ago
Javad
Amazing.
3 months ago
Dr Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain
Remote working is the future of work! As technology advances and the world becomes increasingly interconnected, large organizations will embrace remote work to tap into global talent, boost productivity, and reduce costs. Get ready for a decentralized workforce revolution!
3 months ago
Sayed Yahya Alawi
Dear GulfTalent team, It is a great effort by your team, it shows and helps both employers and employees to take this into their strategic consideration and decisions to boost the efficiency within organizations. Thanks a lot for sharing such report..
3 months ago
NORASIAH
Thumbs up to this Valuable studies conducted. I foresee 2 days at office and 3 days work from home is best
3 months ago
Zhai
Interesting idea, remote work is really help, you can work at the comfort of your home.
3 months ago
Sham
This is very interesting for me the person who has wide experience in various fields and retired professional.
3 months ago
Elizabeth
Very useful information
3 months ago
Sameh
Very interesting indeed
3 months ago
Robels
This is great initiative.
3 months ago
Abdulrahman
Interesting study with valuable outcomes
3 months ago
Ahmed el sheikh
It is fact and fantastic analysis
3 months ago
Mehran saeed
I agree with it.
3 months ago
Ahmed
Thanks very interesting data
3 months ago
Farz
Very interesting data and findings on the remote /hybrid model which is expected to become the norm in most work environments
3 months ago
Amal
For me, this job is good because the woman is responsible for the home and children, so she cannot work outside the home for long hours.
3 months ago
Ranai
Work from home is productive specially after our experience in corona
3 months ago
Apple
I agree if it’s required to be 2 days from office and 3 days hybrid
3 months ago
Elfatih Ahmed Yousef
Thank you so much. Useful information
3 months ago
PRADEEP KUMAR
Fully agree
3 months ago
Pradipto
Very much interesting, more interested for WFH
3 months ago
Qusai
It is very good for both employees & employers. I'm with this either remote or hybrid
3 months ago
Ain elhaia younis Ibrahim
Very useful and helpful data thank you very much.
3 months ago
Shaik Abdul Gafoor
Work from Home partly is highly appreciated.
3 months ago
Adel
More productivity & balance
3 months ago
Imtiaz Mohammad Jamil
Remote work more positive which save manhours.high productivity. Secured.
3 months ago
Maria Cecilia
Productivity and concentration boost, avoid tardiness and eliminate frequent absences at work totally agree.
3 months ago
Daniel
Thanks Interesting data
3 months ago
Nadia
I agree with it
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