It’s a far cry from the days when the UAE was famous as a get-rich-quick destination.

One digital marketing executive, who declined to give his name due to career sensitivities, says a correction to the “farcical salaries” of the past was natural as the market matured.

But he believes things have “swung too far the other way”, saying: “What companies want and what they are prepared to pay for are two very different things.”

The 45-year-old has had six jobs since he moved to Dubai 10 years ago. He is still earning more than he was in the UK, but is now on less than when he arrived. He also spent 14 months unemployed before securing his current position.

“It was extremely tough and diminished a large proportion of our savings,” he says. His wife was also made redundant after her maternity leave, adding more pressure.

Going home is not always an option for those who have built lives in Dubai – they may not have a home, money to move or school places for their children.

“If you’ve been here a while, you need an exit strategy,” he says. “It drains you emotionally.”

Cheaper workers?

Filipina Hannah Zarah Bhatti came to Dubai three years ago to visit her mother, who has worked in the Emirate for nearly three decades, and found a job doing social media for a retail fashion brand.

The 28-year-old graduate is now doing marketing for a leading hotel brand.

She earns AED10,000 per month (about $2,720, £2,130), which is more than triple what she would get in the Philippines.

Some Western expats see workers like Bhatti as a threat because they are willing to accept lower salaries. Bhatti herself says she believes she earns less than colleagues of other nationalities.

Gill says she’s encountered Indian nationals with MBAs willing to work as finance assistants for AED7,000 per month ($1,900, £1,480), jobs previously done by Europeans, sometimes without degrees, earning double that.

Bhatti believes that her nationality made her more “in demand” from cost-conscious employers but feels it’s unfair to be paid less based on the colour of her passport.