Red Sea Global (RSG) has celebrated the graduation of its fourth cohort of the Red Sea Vocational Training Programme, with 386 graduates completing specialised training for careers in tourism and hospitality.
The ceremony, held at the King Abdullah International
Convention Center at The Ritz-Carlton, was attended by senior officials
including Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Jalawi, Governor of Jeddah, representing
the event’s patronage.
The graduates completed a 27-month programme covering
English language training, vocational qualifications and hands-on experience in
airport services, luxury hospitality, and health and wellness tourism
operations. Around 35% of participants were from the local region.
Launched in 2021 in partnership with the Human Resources
Development Fund, Bunyan Academy, Batterjee Colleges, and the Airports Academy,
the initiative aims to prepare Saudi talent for roles in the Kingdom’s
expanding tourism sector. RSG said the programme has become one of the largest
of its kind within Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects.
More than 900 students are currently enrolled across RSG’s
wider education initiatives, which also include hospitality leadership and
scholarship programmes. Graduates receive diplomas and are offered employment
opportunities across RSG’s destinations and operators.
The Red Sea destination began welcoming guests in 2023,
while AMAALA has recently received its first visitors. Both form part of RSG’s
regenerative tourism strategy aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 goals to diversify
the economy, create jobs, and develop national talent.
"Today we celebrate the graduation of a new cohort of
the nation's sons and daughters, who have proven their commitment and ambition
throughout their educational and training journey. In these graduates we see a
model of the national capabilities we are counting on to lead the future of the
tourism sector in Saudi Arabia, and an embodiment of the success of strategic
public and private sector partnerships in building national talent and
equipping them for promising opportunities,” said Ahmad Darwish,
Group Chief Administrative Officer at Red Sea Global.
Darwish added: "Since the launch of the education and
capability building programmes at Red Sea Global, more than 2,400 young men and
women have benefited from them, while the number of graduates has now surpassed
1,500. These programmes continue to play their role in empowering national
talent and opening new career pathways for them, in line with the goals of
Saudi Vision 2030 and reinforcing the contribution of Saudis to the growth of
the tourism sector."
Turki Al-Juwaini, Director General of the Human Resources Development Fund, said: "We are proud of our strategic partnership with Red Sea Global in the Red Sea Vocational Training Programme, as a successful national model for linking training to employment. The graduation of a new cohort of national talent that we witness today affirms the importance of investing in human capital and enabling young Saudi men and women to acquire the skills and experience that qualify them to contribute to the growth of promising sectors, foremost among them tourism, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030." -TradeArabia News Service
