THE HAGUE: Online travel agency Booking.com said Tuesday it will cut up to a quarter of staff worldwide due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, leading to thousands of job losses.
The Amsterdam-based booking site, which employs around 17,500 people around the world, declined to give an exact number of posts that will be slashed, saying details would become clearer “in the coming weeks and months.”
But it warned that “up to 25 percent” of employees could go in what it called an “extremely difficult step.”
“The Covid-19 crisis has devastated the travel industry, and we continue to feel the impact as travel volumes remain significantly reduced,” the company said in a statement sent to AFP.
“While we have done much to save as many jobs as possible, we believe we must restructure our organization to match our expectation of the future of travel,” it added.
Booking.com’s Amsterdam headquarters was expected to be among the sites affected, Dutch media reports added.
Hard-hit by the slowdown in international travel resulting from the lockdown, Booking.com follows in the footsteps of other digital travel sites such as Airbnb and TripAdviser, which have also laid off around 25 percent of their workforce.
Booking.com applied in April for state support.
Last month it received some 61 million euros ($71.8 million) from the Dutch state, making it the third-largest recipient of support behind flagship airline KLM and Dutch Rail (NS), the ANP national news agency reported.
Founded in 1996, Booking.com has some 28 million listings on its website which is available in 43 languages.
Virus sees Booking.com slash quarter of global staff
https://arab.news/yy7t4
Virus sees Booking.com slash quarter of global staff
- The company warned that “up to 25 percent” of employees could go in what it called an “extremely difficult step”
- Booking.com’s Amsterdam headquarters was expected to be among the sites affected
Saudi Arabia signs 90 deals as Global Labor Market Conference conference ends
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia signed 90 agreements and memorandums of understanding aimed at supporting global labor markets and benefiting more than 6 million people as the Kingdom wrapped up a two-day gathering in Riyadh.
The third Global Labor Market Conference saw deals struck between government entities and private-sector partners, spanning skills development, digital transformation, flexible employment and sustainable workforce partnerships. Officials said the initiatives will have an impact both inside and outside Saudi Arabia.
The event attracted more than 10,000 participants from over 100 countries, including 40 labor ministers and more than 200 international experts. Organized by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the event was held under the theme “Future in Progress.”
Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi stated in a post on X that the conference concluded after two days of discussions focused on practical solutions for current and future labor market challenges.
“We discussed the future of skills, the impact of artificial intelligence, building resilient and inclusive labor markets, and empowering talent,” he said, adding that the conference is designed as a continuous platform for year-round cooperation, with partnerships and knowledge exchange extending beyond the event itself.
Al-Rajhi also chaired a high-level ministerial meeting which was also attended by the director general of the International Labor Organization, during which participants agreed on six measures to help shape the future of work.
The conference saw the release of several reports, including an international guide titled “What Works for Work: A Guidebook to Proven and Promising Employment Solutions,” produced in collaboration with the World Bank.
Another report, “A Decade of Progress,” reviewed the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s labor market over the past 10 years, documenting achievements since the launch of Vision 2030.
Other outcomes included the graduation of the first cohort of the Labor Market Academy, comprising 36 graduates from 34 countries, and the launch of a second cohort.
The event also featured a policy hackathon focused on securing first jobs for new labor market entrants, while side events highlighted milestones such as a decade of the Musaned platform for domestic workers.
The conference concluded by reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s role in shaping the future of work globally through innovation, partnerships and workforce empowerment.
Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation is being significantly accelerated by its booming events industry, which has evolved into a primary driver of growth alongside traditional infrastructure and giga-projects.
