Sharjah Expands Pay and Flexible Work Support for Employees
Sharjah has approved salary increases for government employees alongside a new part-time employment programme for 1,000 senior citizens, combining financial wellbeing, flexible work and wider workforce participation.
| Written by Palak Kataria
What does a more inclusive workplace look like across different stages of working life? In Sharjah, a new package of employment measures is bringing together higher pay, flexible work and opportunities for senior citizens to remain professionally and socially active.
H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, approved salary increases covering government employees alongside a new part-time work system designed to provide opportunities for 1,000 senior citizens across Sharjah Government departments.
The measures, announced on September 7, form part of a broader effort to strengthen quality of life while expanding employment opportunities across the emirate.
Higher Pay for Government Employees
Under the latest decision, 3,270 Sharjah Government employees in senior grades will receive salary increases at an annual cost exceeding AED160 million. The covered grades include third, second, first, Special A and Special B.
The changes also extend to employees under the general job system, including engineers, doctors, veterinarians, pharmacists and medical technicians. For each grade under this system, the net increase will reach AED3,375 after insurance deductions, effective from September.
The Ruler directed that the increases extend across Sharjah Government employees in centralised and decentralised entities, including universities.
The announcement follows another decision earlier in September to raise the emirate's standard of decent living to AED20,000 per month, with support covering government employees, retirees and families receiving social assistance.
For employees, the measures place financial wellbeing alongside career and workplace considerations, recognising the role income security can play in overall quality of life.
Flexible Work Opens Doors for Senior Citizens
Alongside the salary changes, Sharjah is introducing a different approach to participation later in life.
The newly approved part-time system will create opportunities for 1,000 senior citizens, with flexible arrangements designed around individual circumstances. Options can include working three days a week or for specific hours, allowing participants to contribute without returning to a conventional full-time schedule.
The programme has a wider social purpose as well.
Sheikh Dr Sultan explained that the initiative is intended to help older people remain engaged with their communities rather than becoming isolated at home. The framework also covers senior citizens' spouses and retirees, with working arrangements adapted according to what individuals are able to manage.
This makes the programme an interesting example of flexible work being used as a tool for inclusion and wellbeing, rather than simply as an alternative working arrangement.
For older workers, employment can provide more than income. It can offer routine, social connection, purpose and an opportunity to continue contributing years of accumulated knowledge and experience.
More Employment Opportunities Ahead
Sharjah is also expanding opportunities for citizens entering and progressing through the workforce.
Between January 5 and September 3, 1,800 people were employed across Sharjah Government entities, including 996 men and 804 women. The Ruler has now directed authorities to accelerate recruitment for another 1,200 positions during the remaining months of 2026, supporting the emirate's target of 3,000 new government jobs this year.
Taken together, the measures create a workforce agenda spanning several generations: new opportunities for jobseekers, stronger financial support for existing employees and flexible pathways for older people who want to remain active.
For workplaces, Sharjah's approach also highlights a broader idea about employee wellbeing. Supporting people at work can involve more than one policy, it can mean considering pay, flexibility, financial security, inclusion and purpose together.
Sources: Sharjah Government Media Bureau; Emirates News Agency (WAM); official website of H.H. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi; Sharjah 24.
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