GE reinforces commitment as technology partner in Kingdom's econmic growth

DAMMAM: Reinforcing its long-term commitment to Saudi Arabia's pursuit of a knowledge economy, GE yesterday signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) to establish a technical academy that will train annually 150 select Saudi technical graduates in advanced skills such as key areas of maintenance and repair of gas turbines, electrical motors and generators that are critical to the efficient generation of electricity in the Kingdom.
With the support of Prince Mohammad bin Fahd, governor of the Eastern Province, and in the presence of Prince Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaad, deputy governor of the Eastern Province, and other dignitaries, the strategic partnership agreement was signed by TVTC Gov. Ali bin Nasser Al-Ghafis and Joseph Anis, president and CEO, GE Energy in the Middle East.
"TVTC is proud to team up with GE, a world-class technology company, to train the engineers and technicians, who will form the cornerstone of the Saudi energy industry of tomorrow," said Al-Ghafis. "The agreement reflects TVTC's strategy to build partnerships with the private sector to implement programs that support Vision 2020, Saudi Arabia's initiative to promote diversification, create new jobs and drive overall welfare."
This milestone agreement establishes a strategic partnership between TVTC and GE, designed to contribute to the empowerment of Saudi nationals with world-class technical training. The agreement is another step forward in the wake of the successful GE Joint Technical Program with TVTC, which was launched in 2010 to train Saudi students over several years. Successful graduates will be offered the opportunity to join GE's business at the growing GE Saudi family to support the expanding energy sector in Saudi Arabia.
"The establishment of the technical academy signifies a new milestone in our collaboration with TVTC and underscores our joint commitment to empower Saudi Arabia's most promising students with the advanced skills needed to support the Kingdom's growth and development," said Joseph Anis, president and CEO, GE Energy in the Middle East.
With nearly 80 years of experience and 1,000 employees in Saudi Arabia, GE has expanded its energy presence in the Kingdom through public-private alliances and a strong footprint of facilities providing manufacturing, service repair support and customer training centers in the power, water and oil and gas sectors. Last June, GE inaugurated its newest technology center in Dammam. The SR 1 billion GE Energy Manufacturing Technology Center consists of three main components - an advanced service technology center, a training center offering the latest in technical and managerial training as well as a high technology manufacturing hub for energy equipment dedicated to the entire energy value chain.