Employee benefits have become a make-or-break factor for workers across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — and employers are struggling to keep up. According to the Future of Work 2024 report, jointly conducted by Zurich International Life and Radius Insights across the UAE, KSA, Qatar, and Bahrain, nearly 8 in 10 GCC employees are considering a job change, with benefits dissatisfaction at the heart of the exodus.
Benefits Are No Longer Optional for GCC Workers
A sweeping 92% of GCC employees now rank benefits as essential to job satisfaction — yet a significant gap exists between what workers want and what employers deliver. In the UAE, only 38% of employees feel their input is actually considered when benefits packages are designed. That disconnect is expensive: just 18% of UAE employees say they are likely to stay with their current employer.
Employer recognition of the problem is high — 96% of UAE employers, 95% in KSA, 94% in Qatar, and 84% in Bahrain acknowledge that benefits are critically important. Yet recognition alone is not translating into action, and the mismatch is fuelling one of the Gulf's most pressing workforce challenges.
The One-Size-Fits-All Model Is Over
More than 60% of respondents across the GCC say that traditional, standardized benefits packages are no longer acceptable. A striking 95% of those surveyed believe the one-size-fits-all model is now obsolete. Workers want flexibility — and they want to be involved in shaping what they receive.
Among the most sought-after benefits are workplace savings plans, group health and critical illness insurance, and family-focused perks such as child education allowances. In KSA, 38% of employees aged 25 to 55 listed child support benefits as a high priority. In the UAE, 31% of workers identified workplace savings plans as a key demand, and 35% of UAE women specifically cited savings as their top priority. In Qatar, 22% of women are seeking enhanced maternity and paternity benefits.
Young Workers Are Most Likely to Leave
The retention risk is sharpest among younger employees. More than 51% of UAE workers aged 18 to 24 said they are open to leaving their current jobs for better prospects, better pay, and improved savings opportunities. Nearly 30% of young workers also reported feeling overlooked by employers due to their inexperience — compounding the dissatisfaction driving turnover.
Ashika Tailor, Head of Business Development for Employee Benefits at Zurich Middle East, said the findings underscore an urgent need for employers to rethink their approach: "Traditional employee benefits packages are no longer fit for purpose. Employees today are demanding more personalised, thoughtful packages."
Sustainability and DEI Are Reshaping Workplace Values
The report also highlights a values-based shift in GCC workplaces. 58% of UAE employees say sustainability commitments and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) practices matter when evaluating an employer. In both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, women's engagement with corporate values is emerging as a meaningful indicator of alignment between employer and employee priorities.
As competition for skilled talent intensifies across the region, GCC employers are under growing pressure to move beyond boilerplate packages and offer benefits that genuinely reflect what their workforce needs — or risk losing them to those that do.
