Hospitality company Red Sea Global was second followed by leading telecommunications giant stc.

Manufacturing multinational Procter & Gamble came in fourth, with the Kingdom’s aviation and airline leader Saudia placed fifth.

LinkedIn ranked companies based on nine criteria, including career progression, ability for employees to advance, skills growth, and company stability.

The firm also took into account external opportunity, company affinity, gender diversity, educational background and employee presence in the country.

The rankings were part of a broader measure of top companies across the region, and Lynn Chouman, managing editor at LinkedIn News Middle East and North Africa, said: “This year’s list is an indication that the world of work is still undergoing enormous change, and it is interesting to see how quickly our markets are evolving with 75 percent new entrants in the 2023 Top Companies lists for the UAE and Saudi Arabia.”

Multinational healthcare and health insurance company Bupa was placed sixth on the Saudi Arabia list, followed by pharmaceutical manufacturing company SPIMACO, and financial services provider SAB Alawwal.

Other firms ranked in the top 15 included state-owned mining firm Ma’aden, food and beverage company SADAFCO, and the Islamic Development Bank

The list shows the Kingdom’s progress towards diversifying its economy as well as maintaining its power by having one of the largest companies in the oil and gas space.

It also highlights how multinational companies have established their market positions in the Kingdom making it a regional hub for global leaders.

LinkedIn also revealed the UAE’s list of top 15 companies, with the airlines Emirates coming out top followed by Procter & Gamble and Kearney.