When you compare offers, treat a bonus as potential, not certain, and ask how it has actually paid out in recent years and what triggers it. A large discretionary bonus attached to a modest base can look generous while leaving your gratuity and borrowing power tied to the smaller fixed number. Get the structure in writing. How fixed and variable pay fit together: Gulf salary package guide.
Performance Bonus
A performance bonus is variable pay awarded for meeting individual, team, or company targets, on top of your fixed salary. In the Gulf it is often discretionary rather than guaranteed, paid annually or on milestones, and it does not usually count toward gratuity or the income calculations used for loans and visas, which rely on fixed pay.
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Adil Dahmani
Adil Dahmani is the founder of Yalliq, the AI career copilot for Arabic-speaking professionals across MENA.