Empowering our People
Health, wellness and quality of life
The Fund is committed to fostering a workplace culture where well-being is central to its identity. It empowers its employees to embrace healthy lifestyles and take charge of their well-being, ensuring that everyone contributes to a vibrant and fulfilling work environment. Through its collective efforts, TDF is cultivating a culture of wellness that enhances the quality of life for all. Some of its key initiatives for promoting healthy living are:
- Right Bite Collaboration: Partnered with Right Bite to provide healthy snacks and access to an ‘InBody’ machine for measuring BMI and muscle mass, promoting healthy habits and enhancing the work environment through meal plan packages.
- Salud Partnership: Teamed up with Salud, an app offering healthy subscription meals on a weekly or monthly basis, to encourage healthy living and maintain a positive workplace atmosphere.
- International Women’s Day Celebration: Organised yoga and mandala art sessions to promote relaxation and mental clarity among female employees in honour of International Women’s Day.
- Steps Challenge: Launched a steps challenge to promote employee health and wellness, encouraging physical activity and engagement, where the top 3 employees were awarded. 145 employees participated in this challenge, amassing a total of 15,420,207 steps over the course of 28 days from November to December 2024.
- Blood Drive: Organised an in-office blood donation drive for its employees. The initiative aimed to encourage a culture of health, compassion, and social responsibility, while contributing to national healthcare efforts. The drive witnessed active participation from staff across departments.
- Mental Health Awareness: Hosted a session on World Mental Health Day led by Dr. Saud Alomar, focusing on managing workload and fostering a positive work environment.
- Employee Wellness Amenities: Installed 6 treadmills and 4 bicycles across office floors, enabling employees to walk while working or attending meetings. The organisation offers amenities designed to enhance their workday and well-being, including hydraulic desks for movement and flexibility, treadmill desks, bicycle desks, and standing desks. Additionally, fresh fruit is provided on every floor, along with cosy sofa nooks for reading and working.
Alignment
- 11UN SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Saudi Vision 2030
Pillar
Improving the socio-economic prosperity through private sector contribution
Target
Zero lost time injuries (LTI), Zero absenteeism due to work related illness, 100% support and counselling to work related mental wellness issues raised
Ensuring diversity and equal opportunity
The Fund is dedicated to promoting diversity in the workplace by empowering women at all levels and ensuring equal career opportunities. TDF believes that female talent is crucial for the success of its organisation and the communities it serves. To support this commitment, it provides mentorship and career development programs to help women realise their full potential, both within TDF and in the communities where the Fund operates.
TDF also promotes workplace flexibility, offering tailored support for pregnant women and new mothers to ensure a healthy work-life balance and inclusive environment.
- 94 women in the workforce, making up 39% of the total workforce.
- 17 women were newly recruited in 2024, making up 41% of the new recruits.
Number of male employees per employee category
- Senior Management
- 7
- Middle Management
- 66
- Staff
- 76
Number of female employees per employee category
- Senior Management
- 1
- Middle Management
- 23
- Staff
- 70
Total Employees by Gender (%)
- Male
- 61%
- Female
- 39%
- reported cases of discrimination in the year 2024.
- 0
The Fund has launched a Code of Conduct (COC) awareness campaign to promote inclusive and ethical practices within its organisation. TDF’s Policies and Code of Conduct are established to promote a healthy and inclusive workplace, mandating that employees uphold the highest ethical standards and refrain from any form of discrimination or harassment based on background, religion, gender, or other protected characteristics.
The Fund proudly demonstrates its commitment to nurturing young talent, with100% of its staff-level employees under the age of 30.
Alignment
- 5UN SDG 5: Gender Equality
- 8UN SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- 10UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- Saudi Vision 2030
Pillar
Improving the socio-economic prosperity through private sector contribution
Target
Female participation in the workforce to be higher than the Saudi Vision 2030 goal of 30%, Be recognised as a regional leader in gender diversity and inclusion
Case Study
The Tourism Olou Program (TOP)
The Tourism Olou Program (TOP) represents the Fund’s flagship development initiative for recent graduates. Launched in 2022, this program aims to foster a strong pipeline of Saudi talent, preparing them to contribute effectively to the Fund upon completion of their studies. This 12-month immersive on-the-job training experience is designed to prepare young individuals for full-time roles within the tourism sector. The program integrates structured learning, mentorship, cross functional exposure, real-time contributions to the business.
Each participant is embedded in a business division, assigned meaningful responsibilities, and paired with senior leaders for mentorship. The Fund supports the program through partnerships with specialised training providers who offer:
- Technical training (tourism economics and financing appraisal).
- Behavioural learning (communication and project management).
Graduates benefit from monthly meetings with division chiefs, gaining insights into business strategy and decision-making. The program is uniquely designed for the tourism sector, with courses tailored to meet its specific needs, and includes:
- Immersive learning experiences with industry experts.
- Visits to unique tourism development projects.
- Case studies conducted.
Joining the Graduate Development Program at TDF showed me what effective youth development looks like. I was trusted with meaningful responsibilities early, given room to learn, and supported by mentors who cared about my growth. TDF’s commitment to developing young talent is real, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.
Mustafa Almamerji
Assistant Manager, Strategy
Key Outcomes
- Accelerated Career Advancement: Enable graduates to transition and be promoted rapidly into new roles that align with their strengths.
- Diverse Talent Representation: Select participants based on merit from various regions across the Kingdom, ensuring representation and equal access to development opportunities.
- Sustainable Tourism Leadership: Foster collaboration with industry leaders on environmentally conscious tourism projects, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and sustainable practices back to Saudi Arabia.
- Development of a Talent Pipeline: Cultivate a robust pipeline of Saudi talent by providing comprehensive training and mentorship opportunities through the program. This initiative equips graduates with the skills and knowledge necessary to make meaningful contributions to the Fund and the broader tourism sector upon completion of their studies.
Benefits provided to employees
Attractive benefits help TDF stand out as a competitive employer, allowing it to attract and retain top talent. In alignment with government regulations, the Fund’s employee benefits plans include health insurance, parental and annual leaves and housing allowance. Other benefits include children’s education and per-diem allowances, the option to work remotely and training and development opportunities.
At the Fund, parental leave is prioritised as a crucial employee benefit that supports team members during important life transitions.. This benefit, available exclusively to married employees, underscores our commitment to fostering a supportive work environment and promoting work-life balance and empowering our employees to nurture their families.
Total number of employees that took parental leave:
- Male
- 7
- Female
- 4
Total number of employees that returned to work after parental leave ended that were still employed 12 months after their return to work:
- Male
- 6
- Female
- 1
Total number of employees that returned to work in the reporting period after parental leave ended:
- Male
- 7
- Female
- 4
- Return to work rate of employees that took parental leave:
- 100%
Safety & Security
At TDF, the health, safety, and well-being of its employees are fundamental to its operational excellence. The Fund continues to implement proactive measures that foster a secure and supportive workplace environment.
Incident Reporting Enabled real-time reporting of incidents and near misses through the incident module system, empowering employees to act quickly and proactively.
Safety Guidelines TDF developed comprehensive health and safety guidelines to identify, eliminate, or reduce workplace hazards and prevent injuries.
Staff Training
- In 2024, 45 fire wardens were trained, and 33 employees were certified in first aid through Red Crescent–accredited sessions. The first aid training, led by a certified professional, aimed to enhance emergency response skills and ensure workplace safety. Fire wardens received safety kits and joined a dedicated WhatsApp group for quick coordination. Regular health and safety emails reinforced a shared culture of responsibility.
- The Fund conducts fire drills twice a year, exceeding the mandated requirement, to ensure staff readiness in emergencies and maintain a high level of preparedness for all personnel.
- Achieved 100% health and safety training completion for cleaning staff, ensuring awareness and adherence to safety standards.
ISO Certification
The Fund has achieved ISO 45001 certification, underscoring its commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for employees and partners. This certification reflects the Fund’s efforts in implementing effective risk management, fostering a culture of safety and prevention, and enhancing overall workplace sustainability.
Alignment
- 11UN SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Saudi Vision 2030
Pillar
Improving the socio-economic prosperity through private sector contribution
Target
Zero lost time injuries (LTI), Zero absenteeism due to work related illness, 100% support and counselling to work related mental wellness issues raised
Talent attraction and retention
By actively recruiting and developing new talent, the Fund remains agile and responsive to the challenges of a changing world.
- Introduce a DEI Team as part of its ESG initiatives.
- Aim to hire persons with disabilities.
- Total number of new hired employees (2024)
- 42
New hires by age
- Under 30
- 27
- 30-50
- 15
New hires by gender
- Females
- 17
- Males
- 25
In 2024:
- Total turnover: 40 employees
- Turnover rate %: 17%
Turnover by age:
- Under 30 years old
- 15%
- 30-50 years old
- 80%
- Over 50 years old
- 5%
Turnover by gender:
- Male
- 27
- Female
- 13
The Fund has demonstrated its ability to retain its talents, evidenced by its low employee turnover rate in 2024. This indicator reflects employee satisfaction and engagement, contributing to enhanced productivity, organisational stability, and the retention of valuable skills and knowledge within the workforce.
Improving employee skills
Training and education are essential for enhancing its human capital and supporting the sustainable development of the Saudi tourism sector. TDF’s policies focus on strategic planning, quality delivery, accountability, and continuous improvement to maximise the impact of learning initiatives.
In 2024
- Total number of training hours: 7,723 hours
- Total number of participants: 243
- Average hours of training per employee: 32 hours
Average hours of training per employee by gender
- Females
- 33
- Males
- 31
Key initiatives include:
- Implementing a succession planning framework that includes leadership development tracks focusing on communication, executive presence, and strategic decision-making for future leaders.
- Engaging senior executives and division chiefs in targeted executive training to improve their leadership style, influence, and communication.
- Offering general in-house training programs twice a year on various business and technical topics, along with online courses in soft and hard skills tailored to specific roles.
- Providing fresh graduates with a three-month comprehensive training experience through its Tourism Olou Program (TOP) to develop future professionals in the tourism sector.
- Sponsoring employees to pursue Executive MBAs and graduate studies at top institutions through hybrid formats that allow for study leave while remaining engaged in their roles.
- Selecting high-potential employees for the High Potential (HiPo) program, which includes executive coaching, advanced training, and project exposure aligned with succession plans.
- Ensuring all employees have access to the Individual Development Plan (IDP), providing meaningful training opportunities each year based on performance and business needs.
2024 achievements and highlights:
- Introducing the evaluation of its employees by educational partners to enhance the quality of its training initiatives.
- Enhancing the trainee evaluation form metrics and data management to access comprehensive data from previous years for future program development.
- Establishing an internal knowledge sharing platform to facilitate collaboration and information exchange among employees.
- Refining the Young College Graduates Development Program by improving content, increasing cooperation with educational partners and line managers to ensure programs align with work commitments, and introducing certification opportunities as a requirement for measuring program performance.
- Successfully placing senior leaders in global executive education programs (e.g., MIT, IMD, Oxford) to ensure strategic alignment with Vision 2030.
- Embedding structured ROI evaluation in all high-investment learning programs to assess their effectiveness and impact.
2025 commitments:
- Launching the 5th Cohort of the Tourism Olou Program, aimed at developing young college graduates.
- Developing an e-learning platform to facilitate self-paced learning for employees.
- Extending programs conducted in modules in collaboration with top global business schools to enhance educational offerings.
- Enhancing post-training impact monitoring to assess the effectiveness and outcomes of training initiatives.
Culture change and knowledge plan
The “Culture Change and Knowledge Plan” is a strategic initiative part of TDF’s ESG Strategy aimed at transforming the Fund’s internal culture to fully embrace Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. Built on three foundational pillars - Communication, Capacity Building, and Engagement.
This plan seeks to align employee values with the Fund’s commitment to sustainability through:
- Effective communication initiatives, such as celebrating UN SDG Special Days and showcasing the Fund’s achievements, it aims to foster a shared purpose.
- Capacity building efforts, including gamification and training centres, enhance employees’ understanding of sustainability.
- Inspiring engagement through innovation competitions and the Green Team, it cultivates a culture of authentic sustainability practices across the organisation.
Key Achievements in 2024:
Sustainability Promotion
TDF introduced recycling bins throughout the office and communicated via email to encourage employees to utilise them, fostering a more sustainable environment.
UN SDG Celebrations
Recognised four UN SDG days, Women’s Day, Youth Day, Environment Day, and World Water Day. All employees were engaged in 10 UN SDG days through awareness materials to deepen knowledge and commitment.
Capacity Building Initiatives
Carbon Markets
Held an expert session for all of the Fund’s employees to explain how organisations in the tourism sector can utilise carbon credits to offset emissions in alignment with global climate goals.
ESG Reporting
Conducted a session covering best practices for sustainability reporting in accordance with global standards and frameworks.
Performance evaluation and career advancement
At TDF, performance evaluation and career advancement are vital to its commitment to employee growth and organisational excellence. Its structured assessment process offers clear feedback, empowering employees to enhance their skills and achieve their career aspirations. This alignment of individual development with the Fund’s strategic goals not only cultivates a motivated workforce but also drives innovation and boosts overall performance, benefiting both the organisation and its employees.
In 2024, 100% of the Fund’s employees received a regular performance and career development review.