Saudi Arabia to localize insurance sales jobs

This move also aligns well with the Saudi Nationalization Scheme, one of the main factors driving the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Shutterstock
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Updated 13 December 2023
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Saudi Arabia to localize insurance sales jobs

RIYADH: Sales jobs in Saudi Arabia’s insurance sector are on track to be localized thanks to a new decision by the Saudi Insurance Authority.

Effective April 15, 2024, the decision comes amid efforts to support and empower national competencies and capabilities in the insurance sector, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

This move also aligns well with the Saudi Nationalization Scheme, one of the main factors driving the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. The idea is to empower Saudi nationals by offering improved education and employment opportunities in the coming years.

In addition, this comes based on the competencies and powers granted to the authority to regulate, supervise, and control insurance business in the region.

Under the new decision, insurance workers in the non-sales sector are not entitled to accept any commissions related to sales.  

Moreover, the authority will monitor the implementation of the localization decision from the date of issuance until the target Saudization percentage is achieved. 

This falls within the framework of the authority’s supervisory and oversight roles over the insurance sector. 

Additionally, the anticipated impact of the new resolution is to enhance the localization of the sales sector, influencing not only the industry itself but also the overall Saudization rate throughout the Kingdom. 

Consequently, this would contribute to developing specialized national competencies interested in the insurance sector and enhancing overall performance while boosting the quality of provided services. 

The IA is designed to foster the role of the insurance sector in the Kingdom, which, in turn, will grow and enhance the market for locally operated Saudi, regional, and global businesses. 

Before the IA’s establishment, the responsibilities of regulating and supervising the insurance sector rested on the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, and the Council of Health Insurance.  

“The establishment of the Saudi Insurance Authority will serve the greater purpose of enhancing the Kingdom’s insurance sector, bolstering local infrastructure and creating an advanced, thriving ecosystem that empowers both Saudi-based, regional and global businesses — and, of course, the people, communities and businesses they serve,” Media spokesperson for Insurance firms in Saudi Arabi Adel Al-Eisa told Arab News in September. 


Silver crosses $77 mark while gold, platinum stretch record highs

Updated 27 December 2025
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Silver crosses $77 mark while gold, platinum stretch record highs

  • Spot silver touched an all-time high of $77.40 earlier today, marking a 167% year-to-date surge driven by supply deficits
  • Spot platinum rose 9.8% to $2,437.72 per ounce, while palladium surged 14 percent to $1,927.81, its highest level in over 3 years

Silver breached the $77 mark for the first time on Friday, while gold and platinum hit record highs, buoyed by expectations of US Federal Reserve rate cuts and geopolitical tensions that fueled safe-haven demand.

Spot silver jumped 7.5% to $77.30 per ounce, as of 1:53 p.m. ET (1853 GMT), after touching an all-time high of $77.40 earlier today, marking a 167% year-to-date surge driven by supply deficits, its designation ‌as a US ‌critical mineral, and strong investment inflows.

Spot gold ‌was ⁠up ​1.2% at $4,531.41 ‌per ounce, after hitting a record $4,549.71 earlier. US gold futures for February delivery settled 1.1% higher at $4,552.70.

“Expectations for further Fed easing in 2026, a weak dollar and heightened geopolitical tensions are driving volatility in thin markets. While there is some risk of profit-taking before the year-end, the trend remains strong,” said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist ⁠at Zaner Metals.

Markets are anticipating two rate cuts in 2026, with the first likely ‌around mid-year amid speculation that US President Donald ‍Trump could name a dovish ‍Fed chair, reinforcing expectations for a more accommodative monetary stance.

The US ‍dollar index was on track for a weekly decline, enhancing the appeal of dollar-priced gold for overseas buyers.

On the geopolitical front, the US carried out airstrikes against Daesh militants in northwest Nigeria, Trump said on Thursday.

“$80 in ​silver is within reach by year-end. For gold, the next objective is $4,686.61, with $5,000 likely in the first half of next ⁠year,” Grant added.

Gold remains poised for its strongest annual gain since 1979, underpinned by Fed policy easing, central bank purchases, ETF inflows, and ongoing de-dollarization trends.

On the physical demand side, gold discounts in India widened to their highest in more than six months this week as a relentless price rally curbed retail buying, while discounts in China narrowed sharply from last week’s five-year highs.

Elsewhere, spot platinum rose 9.8% to $2,437.72 per ounce, having earlier hit a record high of $2,454.12 while palladium surged 14% to $1,927.81, its highest level in more than three years.

All precious ‌metals logged weekly gains, with platinum recording its strongest weekly rise on record.