Starbucks in the Middle East Plans to Cut 2,000 Jobs

Sources told Reuters that the Alshaya Group, a major retail company in the Gulf and the franchisee of Starbucks in the Middle East, intends to lay off more than 2,000 of its employees due to the impact of consumer boycotts related to the Gaza conflict. The sources, who requested anonymity as the matter is still confidential, stated that the job cuts, which began on Sunday, aim to reduce about four percent of Alshaya's total workforce of approximately 50,000 people, primarily affecting Starbucks branches in the Middle East and North Africa. One source indicated that the boycott campaigns have led to difficulties in the company's operating conditions.