Global food and beverage group PepsiCo started Ramadan on a charitable note by launching its “Kilo for Khair” campaign in the lead-up to the holy month. In partnership with the Saudi Food Bank, the company donated one box of essential food items for every kilo in weight its employees lost between March and May, with the aim of promoting kindness and health throughout Ramadan.
Every box PepsiCo donated to Saudi Food Bank included necessities such as flour, milk, cooking oil and tomato sauce, as well as Quaker pasta, oats and soup, in addition to snacks such as Lay’s Forno and Sunbites Bread Bites.
The boxes were distributed through Saudi Food Bank prior to the start of Ramadan, in 16 cities across the Kingdom.
In addition to encouraging its employees to follow a healthier lifestyle for a good cause, PepsiCo encouraged its team members to assist in packing and delivering the boxes to families in need.
Tamer Mosalam, vice president and general manager of PepsiCo — Saudi Snack Foods Co. Ltd., said: “Ramadan is a time for giving and reflection, which is what we are encouraging our employees to do this year: To reflect upon their own well-being and health not only for the purpose of improving their lives, but for the good cause of helping others in the spirit of the month. At PepsiCo we are committed to the community we serve, which includes a commitment to the health and wellbeing of our colleagues.”
Nasser bin Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, a member of the Saudi Food Bank in Riyadh, thanked PepsiCo for its support and participation in the Saudi Food Bank initiative during Ramadan. “The distribution of food boxes this Ramadan will have a significant impact on the 2,000 families that will receive them,” he said, speaking prior to the launch of the campaign. “This is a very positive way to get the community involved in providing some relief to those who need it most.”
The Saudi Food Bank is a non-profit group founded in Dammam in 2011, and is known as Eta’am (Arabic for “feeding”). The organization collects quality meals with the help of its employees and volunteers, and delivers them to beneficiaries recommended by charities.
PepsiCo campaign promotes kindness, good health
PepsiCo campaign promotes kindness, good health
Schneider Electric launches academy in Saudi Arabia to build future-ready talent
Schneider Electric has announced the launch of the Energy Tech Academy Middle East and Africa in Saudi Arabia, a regional capability platform dedicated to skilling, upskilling, and knowledge sharing.
The launch comes at a critical moment as the Kingdom accelerates energy transition, industrial localization, and human capability development under Vision 2030. The academy reinforces the Kingdom’s leadership role in building future-ready talent while supporting industrial and energy transformation across the wider Middle East and Africa region.
The Energy Tech Academy Middle East and Africa is not a traditional training center; it is a regional platform translating Schneider Electric’s global energy technology expertise into applied capability for Saudi Arabia and the broader region. Anchored in Riyadh, the academy is designed to serve as a benchmark for skills development and enablement across the MEA.
The launch reflects Schneider Electric’s long-term commitment to investing in people and capabilities, and to supporting national priorities across energy, industry, and digital infrastructure.
Mohamed Shaheen, cluster president of Schneider Electric Saudi Arabia and Yemen, said: “This launch reflects our long-term commitment to Saudi Arabia and to building capability that lasts. After more than 40 years in the Kingdom, we continue to invest where impact matters most: in people. Launching the Energy Tech Academy Middle East and Africa from Riyadh underscores our belief that sustainable transformation is built on local capability and trusted partnerships.”
The academy directly supports Saudi Arabia’s focus on human capability development, localization, and Saudi-made outcomes by enabling the skills behind advanced energy systems, industrial automation, and digital infrastructure. Capabilities developed through the academy will support Saudi manufacturing, national projects, and resilient supply chains, while also strengthening regional industrial ecosystems.
“The Energy Tech Academy Middle East and Africa is designed to enable real outcomes,” said Walid Sheta, zone president for the MEA at Schneider Electric. “By equipping talent with future-ready skills across electrification, automation, and digital intelligence, we are strengthening Saudi and regional capability to design, operate, and lead the energy and industrial systems of the future.”
The launch event in Riyadh brought together senior government representatives, industry partners, customers, and Schneider Electric’s leadership, highlighting the importance of cross-sector collaboration in aligning education, skills development, and labor market needs.
Designed as a long-term platform, the Energy Tech Academy Middle East and Africa will continue to evolve through partnerships, programs, and continuous capability development, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s role as a regional hub for skills, knowledge, and industrial enablement.
