Saudi MODON Signs Contract for First Food Factory in Jeddah

Saudi MODON Signs Contract for First Food Factory in Jeddah
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Saudi MODON Signs Contract for First Food Factory in Jeddah

Saudi MODON Signs Contract for First Food Factory in Jeddah

The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) signed a contract with Nestlé to allocate a 117,000-square-meter industrial plot in the Jeddah Third Industrial City.

The contract aims to establish the first food factory in the Kingdom, scheduled to open in 2025, with an initial investment of SAR270 million to boost local production, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

The signing ceremony was held under the patronage and in the presence of Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Chairman of MODON Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, MODON CEO Eng. Majed Al-Argoubi and Nestlé Saudi Arabia CEO Robert Helou.

In its initial phase, the project will focus on producing baby food and launching an automated production line equipped with the latest packaging technologies operated by qualified national food industry personnel.

The project is expected to create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs during its first phase, with an initial annual production capacity of 15,000 tons.

In line with the National Industrial Strategy, MODON seeks to boost the food industries sector through the food cluster initiative in Jeddah's second and third industrial cities. The food cluster aims to enhance supply chains and promote exports by providing an integrated and supportive environment, which positively impacts the growth and development of the food industry sector in the region.



Starbucks Workers Expand Strike in US Cities Including New York

Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
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Starbucks Workers Expand Strike in US Cities Including New York

Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Starbucks workers hold signs as they picket during a strike in front of a Starbucks to demand collective bargaining agreements in Burbank, California on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Starbucks workers have expanded their strike to four more US cities, including New York, the union representing over 10,000 baristas said late on Saturday.

The five-day strike, which began on Friday and initially closed Starbucks cafes in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, has added New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis, Workers United said in a statement. It did not say where the New Jersey walkout was occurring.

Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

Talks between the coffee chain and the union hit an impasse with unresolved issues over wages, staffing and schedules, leading to the strike.

The union is striking in 10 cities, also including Columbus, Denver and Pittsburgh, during the busy holiday season that may impact the company's Christmas sales.

Workers United warned on Friday that the strike could reach "hundreds of stores" by Tuesday, Christmas Eve.

Starbucks began negotiations with the union in April. It said this month it had conducted more than eight bargaining sessions, during which 30 agreements had been reached.

The company operates more than 11,000 stores in the United States, employing about 200,000 workers.