Plus this one from the Arabian Business. It goes back a few months, but is applicable now.
Wages 'just one issue' for UAE
by Joel Bowman on Thursday, 22 November 2007
Debate over the decision by the UAE government to grant employees a massive pay raise represents just one facet of the natural uncertainty of an emerging economy in its infancy, according to one presenter at the DIFC Week conference in Dubai.
The government of the UAE yesterday announced a 70% increase for government employees as part of its 2008 budget in an effort to combat inflationary pressure on low- and middle-income families.
At $9.5 billion (34.9 billion dirhams) the federal government's budget is the largest ever and represents the biggest increase year-over-year, up 20% from the 2007 number.
SM