Saudi employees of Starbucks express their productive work experiences
Starbucks recently hosted a media roundtable at one of their cafes in Riyadh, encouraging young Saudis working at Starbucks to share their personal experiences with the media.
Hana Al Badr, Abdullah Al Ghareeb, and Anas Al Ghadya shared their success stories with media representatives, explaining why they joined the international coffee brand, the professional training they received, and the opportunities available for Saudis to work at Starbucks’ “attractive and enriching” environment.
The Starbucks “partners”, as the company calls its employees, praised the support they receive from the company officials, noting that the skills they acquired through training, cited an atmosphere of “respect, confidence, and cooperation” at the workplace, and encouraged Saudi youths to join Starbucks and the services sector in general.
“Working for Starbucks was an opportunity for me to gain new experiences and address new challenges,” said Hana Al Badr, who joined Starbucks a year ago and is now serving as an Area Manager with the company. “I love the atmosphere and feel happy serving people and mixing with them.” She said the skills she learned at Starbucks would greatly help her in her future career.
Underlining her satisfaction working at Starbucks, Hana said. “I am proud of being part of the world’s largest coffee chain. I am also proud of being the first Saudi woman to reach this position at Starbucks. But my ambition does not stop here. I will go on.”
Abdullah Al Ghareeb, who holds a BA degree in financial management and an English language certificate from the Canadian College in Vancouver, Canada, told journalists why he chose to work for Starbucks. “It all began when I was in Canada, where I used to spend most of my day studying at Starbucks cafes. I liked the atmosphere there, and when I returned to Saudi Arabia, I wanted to try working for the brand.”
He said he was selected for a six-month management training program that prepares Saudis to manage Starbucks branches. “In the first two months, I learned how to make coffee and worked as a barista. In the following two months, I served as a shift supervisor, and in the last two months, I was trained on how to manage branches. I enjoyed the relaxed environment, which helps one develop his skills and promotes passion for work, especially since the work team and my trainer were very helpful.” He concluded: “I am very pleased with and proud of working for a company that nurtures Saudi youths and helps build a brighter future for the Kingdom. I advise young Saudis to join Starbucks and the retail sector to support Saudi Vision 2030.”
For his part, Anas Al Ghadiya, a student at Iman Mohammad Ibn Saud University working as a shift supervisor and Assistant Branch Manager at Starbuck, said he chose to work for Starbucks because “it belonged to one of the largest retail groups in the Middle East.”
Offering his story, Anas, who became an assistant branch manager within five months, said: “The main reason for my success at Starbucks was the intensive training I received at the company. The credit also goes to the great support I received from the operations team. I felt they appreciated my talent, which only encouraged me to do more.”
Commenting on the media roundtable, Rana Shaheen, Regional Communications and CSR Manager, Starbucks Middle East, said: “Our partners are the main source of inspiration. We are pleased that they had the opportunity today to share their experiences, achievements, and impressions with the media. We take pride in the fact that we provide young Saudi men and women with great opportunities to work and develop their careers in the retail and services sector in line with national Vision 2030, which calls for economic diversification and the employment of youth.”
As part of its commitment to Vision 2030, Starbucks empowers Saudi youths by providing them with the necessary tools and skills to succeed in their professional life. The company has made big strides in this area with the Saudization of its workforce. It works continuously to develop its partners and build their capacities through ongoing training and professional advice.