The proportion of Dubai residents earning more than AED10,000 ($2,722) per month has almost doubled since 2009, according to an analysis by Reidin.

The research company analysed salary data from the Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC) and found that only 12 percent of the population were taking home above AED10,000 per month in 2009. By 2015, the figure had nearly doubled, Reidin said.

Workers earning above the AED20,000 ($5,444.92) pay level were mainly in the construction, manufacturing, retail and wholesale industries, as well as the government administration sector, the research said.

“These sectors will be the benefactors of the fiscal stimulus underway, causing the populace to have a higher purchasing power in the future,” Reidin noted, according to Gulf News.

A recent DSC survey of 5,029 government employees found that salaries and compensations were top of the needs of 95 percent of workers.

DSC deputy executive director Tariq Al Janahi said: “Some people said the financial aspect, such as job benefits and salary, was a priority [for achieving job contentment], while others preferred other aspects, such as the positively working relationships and job security.”