RIYADH: The Saudi Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) signed an agreement with Qiddiyah Investment Co. (QIC) on Thursday to provide young Saudis with the necessary training to find work in the hospitality and entertainment sector.
The agreement, which was signed by Hadaf Director General Turki Al-Jawini and QIC CEO Michael Reininger, is a further step towards nationalizing the Kingdom’s labor market.
It includes a training program for 1,200 high-school graduates, all of whom will reportedly have job opportunities at the end of the program, which will run for 30 months, the first six of which will be dedicated to English-language training. The rest of the program will cover academic and on-the-job training.
According to the agreement, Hadaf will cover the cost of the academic training and remuneration, while QIC will develop and design the training packages, which will be divided into two tracks: Hospitality and entertainment.
The hospitality track focuses on five areas: Managing hotels; managing tourism; managing restaurants; managing events, exhibitions and conferences; and managing marketing and sales.
The entertainment track focuses on three areas: Managing crowds; managing entertainment centers; and managing maintenance and safety in entertainment centers.