AccorHotels hosts 2nd edition of women’s empowerment forum

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The event, which was open to the public, attracted over 300 attendees.

AccorHotels, a leading hotel operator, hosted the second edition of the “Women’s Empowerment and Integration Forum” at the Sofitel Jeddah on March 4. The event, which was sponsored by Princess Lamia bint Majid Al-Saud, secretary general of Alwaleed Philanthropies, focused on inspiring a new generation of young Saudi women to reach the highest level of professional development.
The forum was endorsed by local authorities represented by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) and the Human Resources Development Fund. The event, which was open to the public, attracted over 300 attendees including local businesses, NGOs as well as students from the University of Business and Technology (UBT) Jeddah, Dar Al-Hekma University and government officials.
Al-Saud said: “We know that women’s empowerment and integration in the workforce is one of the most effective ways of driving social and economic progress, and this goal influences a large part of our work. This supports our country’s target of getting 30 percent of women active in the workforce by 2030.” She also discussed the role of women in the Kingdom and their capacity to shape our future.
Mohamed Al-Amry, SCTH general manager for the Makkah region, added: “We are proud to be associated with this forum which fits within our goals to develop the skills and capabilities of young Saudi nationals in the Kingdom. Through this initiative we hope to raise further awareness among women within Saudi Arabia on ways through which they can realize their full potential and integrate into the local hospitality market workforce.”
Salah Oumoudden, senior vice president of operations at Accor Hotels Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, said: “As the leading hotel operator in Saudi Arabia we are committed to empowering young female talent, enhancing their skills and helping them reaching their full potential within the workplace. We are dedicated to hiring more than 5,000 Saudi nationals over the next five years out of which 30 percent will be female employees.”