Great Place to Work Institute UAE, part of a global research, training and consultancy firm that recognizes the best workplaces in over 50 countries worldwide, released its fourth annual list of the Top 15 Companies to Work For in the UAE during an awards ceremony in Dubai.

Scooping the top position in 2014 was previous list maker DHL. Having ranked fifth place last year, DHL put significant effort into refining its "employee value proposition." Forming the cornerstone of the firm’s human capital work, the initiative outlines guidelines for developing DHL staff in terms of their growth, impact and pride.

Previous winner Microsoft ranked second in 2014, followed by Omnicom Media Group in third, advancing four places from its 2013 spot. Ericsson moved up two spots to claim fourth place, while THE One, the top local company, rounded out the top five.

Ranking from sixth to 10th place on the list were FedEx Express, Marriott, Bayt, Weber Shandwick and EMC respectively. Rounding out the final five positions on the list were Emirates Transport, Fun City, Hyatt, Estee Lauder and Mondelez.

“Congratulations to all the Top 15 list makers. This is a result of which you should feel very proud,” said David Robert, chief executive of GPTW Gulf.

Michael Burchell, VP international operations at GPTW and partner and director of GPTW Gulf, said: “Our global proprietary trust measurement tool (the Trust Index) shows the UAE now ranks near the top globally scoring 83 percent.”