Employee Talent and Diversity
Employee talent and diversity are central to our ability to deliver consistent performance across a large, labor-intensive footprint in the GCC. Our operations rely on a diverse workforce deployed across multiple geographies, roles, and skill levels, including a significant proportion of employees engaged through arrangements typical of the regional agri-food sector. How effectively we attract and deploy this workforce directly influences operational stability, productivity, and service quality.
Why This Matters
We manage our workforce within a dynamic regional labor environment shaped by evolving regulations, nationalization policies, and competition for technical and supervisory talent. These conditions affect recruitment, retention, workforce planning, and succession, all of which are critical to maintaining continuity and controlling costs. Our ability to develop and retain capable employees also has broader social and reputational relevance. How we manage employment practices, workforce composition, progression, and representation affect our standing as an employer and our relationships with regulators and other stakeholders.
Our Approach
Our approach to employee talent and diversity is guided by group-wide policies that set clear expectations for fair treatment, inclusion, and respect for human rights across our workforce and value chain.
Policy Framework and Commitments
The Code of Conduct and the Human Rights Policy define our commitments to non-discrimination, ethical behavior, fair employment practices, and safe working conditions. These policies apply to all employees and managers and, where relevant, extend to contractors, agents, and business partners through contractual requirements and standards.
The Code of Conduct establishes behavioral and ethical expectations for the workplace, prohibiting discrimination and harassment, promoting merit-based employment decisions, and reinforcing accountability for integrity and professionalism at all levels of the organization. The Human Rights Policy sets out our commitment to respect and protect the rights of employees and workers connected to our operations, including principles related to fair compensation, freedom of association, and safe and dignified working conditions. Together, these policies provide the foundation for how we manage talent development, workforce inclusion, and workplace culture.
Policy Embedding
We implement these commitments through communication and training designed to reach a diverse and geographically distributed workforce. Core policies are integrated into onboarding, reinforced through ongoing awareness activities, and made available in relevant languages. For suppliers and other third parties, ethical employment expectations are embedded into onboarding and due-diligence processes and reinforced through the Supplier Code of Conduct. This approach helps ensure that our standards are reflected consistently across business relationships.
Responsible Recruitment
Our approach to recruiting and managing our predominantly blue-collar workforce is designed to maintain operational continuity while ensuring fair, transparent, and lawful employment practices across multiple geographies. Recruitment is coordinated through a centralized Talent Acquisition function, working in collaboration with business units and approved recruitment agencies in source countries.
Recruitment Partners
We require recruitment partners to comply with our ethical standards, including prohibitions on charging recruitment fees to workers, requirements for written employment contracts in languages candidates understand, and safeguards against the withholding of identity documents. Employment terms, including wages, benefits, deductions, accommodation, and rest days, are communicated clearly at the time of offer and prior to deployment.
We monitor recruitment practices through ongoing engagement with agencies, review performance where risks are identified, and maintain direct communication channels for candidates and employees to raise concerns. Where non-compliance is identified, we take corrective actions, including further investigation or termination of agency relationships where appropriate. This approach reflects our focus on managing large-scale blue-collar recruitment responsibly as part of normal workforce operations.
Oversight and Accountability
Oversight and accountability are embedded within our governance and risk management structures. Human rights and ethical matters related to employment are managed through human resources and compliance functions with confidential grievance and escalation mechanisms. Employment-related risks and controls are also integrated into the Group’s enterprise risk management framework, supporting ongoing monitoring and continuous improvement. Our policies and practices are aligned with recognized international standards, including instruments developed by the International Labour Organization and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Key Developments
Almarai continued to strengthen its people agenda through focused investments in engagement, capability building, service accessibility, and national workforce development, reinforcing inclusion, operational continuity, and long-term talent sustainability across its geographically diverse footprint during the year.
Employee Engagement and Inclusion
Employee engagement and inclusion continued to be advanced through the WE@Almarai program, the Group’s platform for employee wellbeing, connection, and workplace culture. Delivered across more than 50 locations, the program reached over 50,000 employees during the year and brought together initiatives under the WE Care, WE Empower, WE Evolve, and WE Celebrate pillars. Activities focused on wellbeing, mental health awareness, and fostering connection across a geographically dispersed workforce. Representation was further broadened through the expansion of the WE@Almarai Ambassadors Program, with ambassadors now active across nine countries.
HR Service Accessibility
Access to HR services was improved through the streamlining of core processes, helping to create a more consistent experience across operations. Several services were simplified, enabling faster processing of common requests such as employment certification, official letters, employee identification, and parking access. These changes reduced administrative friction for employees and improved transparency and efficiency in service delivery.
Training and Development
During the year, we continued the transformation of the Talent and Organizational Development function to better align learning investments with business needs, particularly in a high-turnover operating environment. As part of this shift, selected specialized capabilities that had previously been outsourced were brought in-house.
Alongside leadership and professional development, emphasis remained on functional and technical skills critical to operational continuity. Training programs addressed safety, compliance, quality, financial acumen, and digital capabilities through the Almarai Academy and related platforms. Employees across the GCC completed nearly 1.65 million training hours during the year.
Saudization
Progress continued in national workforce development, with the Group maintaining Nitaqat classifications ranging from Green to Platinum. Localization targets were structured to ensure no entity fell below the High Green category, in line with Ministry of Human Resources requirements. Nitaqat thresholds were embedded into annual manpower planning, influencing hiring decisions, role allocation, and training priorities across business units. The most pronounced gains were recorded in accounting roles, where localization increased to over 40 percent, and in technical roles, where levels rose above 30 percent.
National Workforce Development
To maintain compliance and strengthen the national talent pipeline, phased workforce nationalization plans were implemented, training specializations were expanded through the FIP Institute, and partnerships with government bodies and universities were reinforced. During the reporting period, we formalized a joined Memorandum of Cooperation with three Saudi universities for job training and placement programs to develop national talent. Inclusion initiatives were also advanced in collaboration with Sa3ee and GOSI. Towards the close of the year, we signed a training agreement with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development under the national “Waad” program, providing multi-year skills development opportunities for Saudi youth in the Hail region, supporting employability, Saudization, and Vision 2030 human-capital goals. In recognition of this progress, the Group received two Labor Awards for CEO and Localization in the large-company category.
Progress Toward Targets
Current Targets
Status
Ensure gender equality in our workforce, with focus on talent development, capability building, and opportunities.
Target achieved as of 2025.
Reduce voluntary employee turnover to achieve an average of 12% over 2020–2024.
Target achieved as of 2024.
90% of managers engage in at least 40 hours of professional development per year by 2025.
Target achieved as of 2025.
Metrics
50,000+
Total employees*
6,703
New recruits
10%
Voluntary turnover rate
36
Average training hours per employee
24%
Saudi nationals in the workforce (10,822 employees)
3%
Women in the workforce (1,195 employees)
*Includes all Almarai operations.