Govt Incentives Support Sustainability of Saudi Employment in Private Sector

Private sector companies attracted 49,300 Saudis in October. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Private sector companies attracted 49,300 Saudis in October. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Govt Incentives Support Sustainability of Saudi Employment in Private Sector

Private sector companies attracted 49,300 Saudis in October. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Private sector companies attracted 49,300 Saudis in October. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Three main factors provided by the Saudi government have helped sustain the employment of citizens in the private sector over the past years.

Those include financial incentives and rewards, continuous training and development, and support and nationalization programs.

According to a report by the National Labor Observatory of the Human Resources Fund on Sunday, a copy of which was reviewed by Asharq Al-Awsat, the local labor market was able to employ more than 714,000 people in the private sector during a period ranging between five to 10 working years.

Private sector companies attracted 49,300 citizens last October. This comes after non-oil sector companies recorded a strong performance during the same month, in terms of employment, the highest in nine years, according to the Purchasing Managers’ Index issued by Riyad Bank in cooperation with Standard & Poor’s.

The report revealed that the total number of citizens working in the private sector reached more than 611,000 employees between one and three years, while the number of Saudis in private companies between three and five years reached more than 377,000 workers.

A recent report issued by the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning pointed to an improvement in the business environment in Saudi Arabia, as non-oil private sector companies witnessed a continuous growth in performance.

The report revealed that new orders increased positively at the beginning of the second quarter, which led to a strong growth in economic activity, production and employment.



Gold Hits Four-week Peak on Safe-haven Demand

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
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Gold Hits Four-week Peak on Safe-haven Demand

A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk
A view shows ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom during production at Krastsvetmet precious metals plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk

Gold prices rose to a near four-week high on Thursday, supported by safe-haven demand, while investors weighed how US President-elect Donald Trump's policies would impact the economy and inflation.

Spot gold inched up 0.4% to $2,672.18 per ounce, as of 0918 a.m. ET (1418 GMT). US gold futures rose 0.7% to $2,691.80.

"Safe-haven demand is modestly supporting gold, offsetting downside pressure coming from a stronger dollar and higher rates," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.

The dollar index hovered near a one-week high, making gold less appealing for holders of other currencies, while the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield stayed near eight-month peaks, Reuters reported.

"Market uncertainty is likely to persist with the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump as the next US president," Staunovo said.

Trump is considering declaring a national economic emergency to provide legal justification for a series of universal tariffs on allies and adversaries, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Trump will take office on Jan. 20 and his proposed tariffs could potentially ignite trade wars and inflation. In such a scenario, gold, considered a hedge against inflation, is likely to perform well.

Investors' focus now shifts to Friday's US nonfarm payrolls due at 08:30 a.m. ET for further clarity on the Federal Reserve's interest rate path.

Non-farm payrolls likely rose by 160,000 jobs in December after surging by 227,000 in November, a Reuters survey showed.

Gold hit a near four-week high on Wednesday after a weaker-than-expected US private employment report hinted that the Fed may be less cautious about easing rates this year.

However, minutes of the Fed's December policy meeting showed officials' concern that Trump's proposed tariffs and immigration policies may prolong the fight against rising prices.

High rates reduce the non-yielding asset's appeal.

The World Gold Council on Wednesday said physically-backed gold exchange-traded funds registered their first inflow in four years.

Spot silver rose 0.7% to $30.32 per ounce, platinum fell 0.8% to $948.55 and palladium shed 1.4% to $915.75.