Under the auspices of H.R.H. Prince of Al-Qassim region, and as part of its ongoing commitment to community service, McDonald's KSA and the General Directorate of Education of Al-Qassim have signed a cooperative agreement to train and employ people with Down syndrome in McDonald's branches throughout the region.

The occasion took place under the auspices of H.R.H. Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Prince of Al-Qassim region, and in the presence of H. E. Minister of Education, Mr. Yusef bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan. Through this partnership contract with the General Education Directorate in Al-Qassim, Riyadh International Catering Company “McDonald’s” aims to employ special education students with Down syndrome.

This step builds on McDonald's early initiative to hire employees with Down syndrome, which began in 2006 with the hiring of the first employee with Down syndrome. McDonald's has been on this journey for 17 years and has signed several agreements with education directorates in the eastern province, Al Riyadh, and Al Qassim regions in the kingdom so as to increase the number of employees with Down syndrome to 52 people. The company is working hard to bring the total number of employees to 92 by the end of 2023.

Such a step demonstrates McDonald's ongoing dedication to societal support that falls under the scope of its social responsibility platform "Ajyalona”, which focuses on helping people with Down syndrome and is also related to the pillar of humanitarian support.

To learn more about McDonald’s initiatives in social work and community service, kindly visit Ajyalona.com