“Everything foreign ranks first,” is an old Lebanese proverb that seems befitting of the salary scales on offer in the country. In any conversation with a recruitment agent, human resources consultant, or even aspiring executive, the word ‘multinational’, or simply ‘ajnabiyeh’ — Arabic for “foreign” — will come up more often than not when attempting to identify the most lucrative job opportunities. While human resource consultancy group Mercer forecasts a 7 percent wage increase for Lebanon’s ‘white-collar’ employees, managers and executives in 2012, most corporations remain tight-lipped about their current or future salary packages. Yet, one need not tread water when the opportunity for a better salary exists out in the murky swamps of Lebanon’s job market. Recruitment agency representatives are able to give an idea of the pay structures according to, and within certain sectors, as well as the disparity between salaries on offer for executives and those
