Federation of Saudi Chambers Launches Employee Leasing Initiative with 50 Financing Entities

Initiatives to improve the market of HR companies and expand their business. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Initiatives to improve the market of HR companies and expand their business. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Federation of Saudi Chambers Launches Employee Leasing Initiative with 50 Financing Entities

Initiatives to improve the market of HR companies and expand their business. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Initiatives to improve the market of HR companies and expand their business. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Federation of Saudi Chambers (FSC) launched an initiative to encourage banks and various financial institutions to provide finance products and installment services for employee leasing in the Saudi market. This comes in light of the high demand for manpower and the increase in the volume of investments and projects.

The initiative was revealed during an extensive meeting held by the National Committee for Human Resources Companies at the headquarters of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, in the presence of the Saudi Central Bank and more than 50 representatives of banks and financing entities operating in the Kingdom.

Human resources companies presented studies indicating the clients’ need for employee leasing finance and installment services.

They pointed to their reliance on stable and sustainable products and industry that constitute an investment opportunity for all in light of the volume of the labor market in the Kingdom.

According to a statement by the FSC, the discussed studies pointed out that human resources companies provide various advanced services and products, including leasing by the hour.

They have also invested millions of riyals in advanced technologies and systems to manage their various processes.

The FSC, represented by the National Committee for Human Resources Companies, underlined its demand for financing entities to provide financing solutions for employee leasing sector by reviewing the components, market size and the available opportunities.

The global HR market is estimated at about $400 billion, while the Kingdom's share of this amount does not exceed 0.4%, with investments estimated at more than SAR6 billion ($1.6 billion), despite being ranked the third globally in terms of attracting foreign labor.

The companies’ share at the Saudi labor market, which includes 10.5 million workers, is about 8% in the private sector and domestic workers.



World Food Price Index Eases in Dec, Pushed Lower by Sugar

A vendor arranges vegetables at a roadside market on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 2, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad  HUSSAIN / AFP)
A vendor arranges vegetables at a roadside market on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 2, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)
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World Food Price Index Eases in Dec, Pushed Lower by Sugar

A vendor arranges vegetables at a roadside market on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 2, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad  HUSSAIN / AFP)
A vendor arranges vegetables at a roadside market on a cold winter evening in New Delhi on January 2, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)

The United Nations' world food price index dipped in December against November levels, led lower by a drop in international sugar quotations, but still showed a robust gain year-on-year, data showed on Friday.
The index, compiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to track the most globally traded food commodities, fell to 127.0 points last month from a slightly revised 127.6 in November.
The November figure was previously put at 127.5, Reuters reported.
The December value was up 6.7% from 12 months previously, yet remained 20.7% below the all-time high reached in March 2022, FAO said.
For 2024 as a whole, the index averaged 122.0, 2.1% lower than the 2023 value, offsetting significant decreases in quotations for cereals and sugar with smaller increases in prices for vegetable oils, dairy and meats.
Sugar prices led December's monthly decline, dropping 5.1% month-on-month thanks to improving sugarcane crop prospects in the main producing countries to stand 10.6% below its December 2023 level.
Dairy prices declined after seven consecutive months of increases, losing 0.7% from November but still posting a 17.0% gain year-on-year. Vegetable oil prices dropped 0.5% month-on-month, but were up 33.5% on their year-earlier level.
Meat prices rose 0.4% in December from November and stood 7.1% above their December 2023 value.
The FAO cereal price index was little changed last month from November and was 9.3% below its year-earlier level, as a slightly uptick in maize quotations offset a drop in those for wheat, FAO said.
FAO did not provide a new forecast for global cereal production, with the next estimate due next month.