King Abdullah Economic City Awards Over $300 Mln Contracts

Part of King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. (File photo / AFP)
Part of King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. (File photo / AFP)
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King Abdullah Economic City Awards Over $300 Mln Contracts

Part of King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. (File photo / AFP)
Part of King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. (File photo / AFP)

King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) has awarded new contracts worth over SAR1.2 billion (USD320 million) for the construction and development of several sectors in the city during the year 2018.

KAEC acting Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Bin Ibrahim Linjawy said that 20 percent of the value of the contracts was for the development of the industrial valley, residential areas and facilities. About 80 percent of the value of the contract was for the development of a range of projects, services, and products in a number of areas, notably the tourism sector, entertainment, and sports. He said the development plans for the city are continuing so as to develop strategic sectors, like the logistics and industrial sectors.

Linjawy noted that the industrial valley has attracted more than 110 national and international companies so far.

The King Abdullah Port can handle 3.4 million containers annually. Investments are continuing as more than 10,000 housing units and plots of land distributed among six residential districts are being developed.

KAEC is giving priority to the empowerment of Saudi youth by launching quality initiatives and projects in cooperation with a number of partners. Foremost among these is the Prince Khaled Faisal Project which aims to train some 10,000 male and female pupils by the end of 2020. Till now 3,800 students have been trained.



Starbucks Strike to Expand to over 300 US Stores on Christmas Eve, Union Says

Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Starbucks Strike to Expand to over 300 US Stores on Christmas Eve, Union Says

Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)
Starbucks employees, union members and supporters strike outside of a Starbucks store which is closed down due to the strike on December 23, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

A strike at Starbucks' US stores will expand to over 300 stores on Tuesday, with more than 5,000 workers expected to walk off the job, before the five-day work stoppage ends later on Christmas Eve, the workers' union said.

Starbucks Workers United, representing employees at 525 stores nationwide, said more than 60 US stores across 12 major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle, were shut on Monday.

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

The Christmas Eve strike on Tuesday was projected to be the largest ever at the coffee chain, the union added. "These strikes are an initial show of strength, and we're just getting started," an Oregon barista said in a union statement.

When asked for a response, a Starbucks spokesperson referred to a company statement it released on Monday.

It said that the vast majority of Starbucks stores will continue to operate and serve customers, adding that it expects a "very limited impact" to overall operations. Starbucks has over 10,000 company-operated stores across the US.

"We are ready to continue negotiations when the union comes back to the bargaining table", the company said.

The Seattle-headquartered firm had previously claimed that the union delegates prematurely ended the bargaining session.

Earlier this month, the workers' group rejected an offer of no immediate wage hike and a guarantee of a 1.5% pay increase in future years.

The union also said that Starbucks has yet to present its workers with "a serious economic proposal."