JOB SATISFACTION IN THE UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven emirates in the Arabian Peninsula. The UAE has a population of six million, of which approximately 80 percent are non-national (expatriates) from more than 200 countries. In a survey conducted by job site www.Bayt.com and research company YouGovSiraj.com, only 27 percent of 9,760 respondents expressed high satisfaction with their work. Those who expressed the most satisfaction with their jobs were Lebanese and Moroccan nationals. These lowest ratings were given were given by Gulf nationals. Dissatisfaction appeared to be due largely to poor work organization; this resulted in low motivation levels (65 percent of UAE workers said they felt motivated in their work). If employees feel undervalued, they could become dissatisfied and leave. Such behavior results in a financial loss for the employer as it costs more to recruit new than to retain existing staffs. As a follow-up, readers of the Gulf News were asked "How satisfied are you with your job?" In readers comments, posted online, job dissatisfaction was most often about salary, either late salary payments, low salaries, or failure to increase salaries. For one UAE receptionist, promises by her employer of an increase in pay did not materialize, and that led to her dissatisfaction with the job. It was also determined that UAE government needed to legislate on salaries and that apartment rents were too high for the salaries offered. Readers also gave suggestions about how to become satisfied with jobs and suggested working for an employer who promotes equal opportunity, and finding a job that matches one's qualifications and skills. A proposal was made that experience in other departments would enable employees to be more committed and would improve job competencies. Gulf News readers also said that staff needed training to improve their attitude about their job, to increase interest, and to offer a carrier path. In the online postings, concern was expressed that the system of three-years work visa caused employees and employers to have national companies may be located in the UAE for only a short while, this may also contribute negatively to commitment and job satisfaction. Some managers consider that commitment to an organization is influenced by a 'fit' between the person, the job, and the organization.