Riyadh – In a recent episode of the Socrates podcast, His Highness Prince Mishal bin Khalid Al Saud, Chief Executive Officer of Riyadh International Company —the international development licensee (IDL) for McDonald’s in central, northern, and eastern Saudi Arabia—shared insights on the company’s journey in the Kingdom and the challenges faced in the restaurant sector.

Prince Mishal highlighted the key stages of McDonald’s entry into Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the company’s focus from the start on building customer trust through transparency and high-quality ingredients. He also addressed the challenges the brand has faced, including menu simplicity, increasing competition, and evolving market dynamics.

The discussion covered the impact of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which brought significant changes in competition and consumer behavior, prompting McDonald’s Saudi Arabia to expand and enhance its services. Prince Mishal stressed the company’s commitment to sustainable growth while adhering to the standards of the global brand.

Since opening its first branch 30 years ago, McDonald’s Saudi Arabia has also achieved notable success in Saudization, despite initial challenges. Early on, local interest in working at the restaurants was low due to limited salaries and rigid working hours. The company responded by:

• Raising salaries and benefits for Saudi employees.
• Increasing leave days from one to two per week.
• Allowing flexibility in selecting shifts and branch locations.

Today, McDonald’s employs over 4,000 Saudis, representing roughly 35% of its workforce, with annual plans to grow this figure in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. Prince Mishal emphasized that the success of Saudization stems from flexibility and valuing employees, rather than sudden mandates, making McDonald’s a leading example in the private sector.

The episode concluded by highlighting the pivotal role of the restaurant sector in the national economy and the importance of innovation and transparency in strengthening customer trust, creating local employment opportunities, and ensuring continued success in Saudi Arabia.