Mondelēz Arabia, the Saudi Distribution company for global snacking powerhouse Mondelēz International, was awarded a grant worth 900,000 SAR (250,000 USD) from the Saudi Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) for its continued commitment to training and development of Saudis nationals.
Saudi Nationals made up over 50% of new hires at Mondelēz Arabia, including Regional Business Managers and National Key Account Manager. This demonstrates the company’s dedication to developing a talented local workforce in a critical market, and highlights its support for the Ministry of Labour Saudi Nationalisation scheme. In less than three years, Mondelēz Arabia has exceeded its employment targets by hiring over 270 full-time staff, of whom 1/3 are Saudi nationals.
This is the second milestone reached by Mondelēz Arabia in Saudi Arabia, where the global snacking firm had previously been recognized for its gender diversity, and hiring, training and development of women across both business functions and production plant.
The HRDF award forms part of a series of grants and incentives aimed at increasing Saudi participation in the private sector. It supports the government’s efforts to increase the share of Saudi manpower while expanding work opportunities for Saudi women and boosting youth employment.
Faisal Al Hamoud, HR Coordinator at Mondelez Arabia, said: “We are extremely grateful to the Government of Saudi Arabia and HRDF for this generous grant. It underlines our long-standing commitment to support the national effort to develop world-class, home grown Saudi talent. The grant will help us to attract the best candidates to launch and advance the careers of Saudis, while also supporting the country’s fast growing food and beverage sector.”
Mondelēz International’s largest-selling iconic brands have been sold in the Kingdom for decades and include Kraft and Philadelphia Cheese, Tang, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Flake and Oreo. Today in Saudi Arabia, through its subsidiary – Nabisco Arabia – Mondelēz International operates one of the largest internationally owned food and beverage plants in the Middle East, producing Oreo, belVita, Prince biscuits, and the Barni sponge cake.