Construction firms hike wages for employees in Middle East

Korean construction firms have begun offering higher pay to employees working at project sites in the Middle East. The wage hikes address persistent safety concerns due to prolonged tensions in the region following the war between the United States, Israel and Iran. Earlier this month, the ceiling of Hyundai E&C's office near the Amiral project site in Saudi Arabia was partially damaged by a tremor caused by an Iranian airstrike on a neighboring petrochemical complex. While some staff have been evacuated, construction firms have offered incentives to employees who remain on duty. Samsung gave gifts worth 5 million won ($3,380) last month to some 500 employees working in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, most of whom belong to the conglomerate's construction arms, Samsung C&T and Samsung E&A. The gifts included Samsung Electronics mobile devices and vouchers that can be used at traditional markets in Korea. In addition, Samsung E&A decided to raise allowances for employees dispatched to the three Middle Eastern countries classified as dangerous regions. GS E&C took similar m