Private sector salaries in the Gulf rose by 11.4% over the last year, according to a new study.

According to jobsite Gulftalent.com, increases in basic salary by country, over the 12 month period to August 2008, were:

 UAE  13.6%
 Qatar  12.7%
 Oman  12.1%
 Bahrain 10.5%
 Kuwait  10.1%
 Saudi Arabia 9.8%

Pay rises were driven by a continued shortage of talent across most sectors, as well as the spiralling cost of living, particularly in residential rents.

However, the study also predicted that pay rises could ease due to the increasing number of Western expatriates coming to the region caused by the global downturn.