Family-run conglomerate Al Dabbagh Group has been named as Saudi Arabia’s best workplace in the large category this year as companies in the region continue to focus on employee well-being, work-life balance and learning opportunities in the post-coronavirus era.
Luxury retailer Chalhoub Group, PepsiCo, international hotel chain Hilton and logistics company DHL Express rounded off the top five, according to a survey that was released on Friday by management consultancy Great Place to Work.
The consultancy defined large companies as those with more than 500 employees.
Other companies in the list include building and construction materials company Masdar, the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, Savola Foods, consulting firm Deloitte Global, the Saudi Industrial Development Fund, market regulator Capital Market Authority and Apparel Group, the consultancy said.
“As a part of their organisational strategy, great workplaces throughout Saudi Arabia compete across different sectors in providing great workplace environments for all employees to ensure winning the war of local talent,” said Tanzeel Rehman, Great Place to Work Middle East's managing director for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
“We are very happy to see a growing awareness in Saudi Arabia in providing great workplace environments for all employees.”
The list recognised 25 large, 35 small and medium, and the top 25 micro organisations across Saudi Arabia for their efforts, the consultancy said.
Hiring in Saudi Arabia’s non-oil sector in December increased at its fastest pace since 2018, driven by “robust” business activity, according to the Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia purchasing managers’ index.
The kingdom has created tens of thousands of new jobs as part of its plan to develop $1 trillion worth of new projects to meet its Vision 2030 plan of diversifying the economy away from hydrocarbons, according to the General Authority for Statistics.
Recruitment specialist Hays said in December that hiring activity in the kingdom would be highest in the manufacturing, logistics and industrial sectors.
Salaries in Saudi Arabia are expected to rise by an average of 3 per cent in 2023, driven by a surge in new jobs created by mega-projects such as Neom, as well as the setting up of operations by organisation in the kingdom, according to recruitment experts.
Flexible working will be key to retaining and hiring talent, with many professionals preferring remote work options, according to LinkedIn data.
Meanwhile, US technology company Cisco has been named as Saudi Arabia’s best workplace in the small and medium category in 2023, the survey showed.
Small companies are defined as those with between 51 and 100 employees, while medium companies hire between 101 and 499 workers, according to the consultancy.
Cargo and freight service company DHL Global Forwarding, cyber security provider Sirar by STC, medical device company Medtronic and investment group Al Muhaidib Holding Company rounded off the top five best workplaces in the small and medium category this year.
Other companies in this category include real estate developer Kinan, pharmaceutical group Servier, cosmetics company L’Oreal, Asharqia Chamber, contracting company Amaq and AstraZeneca, the consultancy said.
Biotechnology company Biogen was ranked the best workplace in the micro category in Saudi Arabia.
Chemicals company Dow was ranked second in the micro category, followed by HR software provider ZenHR and executive search firm Top Talent Solutions.
Companies that hire between 10 to 50 employees fall in the micro category.
Saudi Arabia Salary Guide 2023 — in pictures
The survey included companies in sectors such as retail, social services and government agencies, transportation, finance and media.
Companies based in Saudi Arabia that fall within these industries and employ 10 or more workers are eligible to participate in the survey. They are assessed based on employee feedback and an audit of management and HR practices.
Top 10 best workplaces in the large category in Saudi Arabia in 2023
1. Al Dabbagh Group
2. Chalhoub Group
3. PepsiCo
4. Hilton
5. DHL Express
6. Sami Advanced Electronics Company
7. Dar Al Riyadh
8. Masdar
9. Diriyah Gate Development Authority
10. Savola Foods
Top 10 best workplaces in the small and medium category in Saudi Arabia in 2023
1. Cisco
2. DHL Global Forwarding
3. Sirar by STC
4. Medtronic
5. Al Muhaidib Holding Company
6. Kinan
7. Servier
8. L’Oreal
9. Asharqia Chamber
10. Amaq
Top 10 best workplaces in the micro category in Saudi Arabia in 2023
1. Biogen
2. Dow
3. ZenHR
4. Top Talent Solutions
5. AlHadaya Centre
6. Trahum
7. Elevation United Property Management Company
8. Khobar Health Network – Al Kornaish
9. Air Products Qudra
10. Majd Arabia
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
ATP RANKINGS (NOVEMBER 4)
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705
5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1,747 ( 7)
Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Indian origin executives leading top technology firms
Sundar Pichai
Chief executive, Google and Alphabet
Satya Nadella
Chief executive, Microsoft
Ajaypal Singh Banga
President and chief executive, Mastercard
Shantanu Narayen
Chief executive, chairman, and president, Adobe
Indra Nooyi
Board of directors, Amazon and former chief executive, PepsiCo
WIDE%20VIEW
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Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
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