Saudi electric vehicle manufacturer Ceer has welcomed 40 Saudi engineers into permanent roles after they completed an overseas scholarship and training programme under the Kingdom's flagship "Waed" track of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Programme.
The graduation ceremony, held at the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in Riyadh, honoured 69 graduates from employment-linked industrial scholarship programmes, including the 40 engineers sponsored by Ceer. The event was held under the patronage of Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, and attended by Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan, Minister of Education, along with senior government officials and representatives of participating companies.
Ceer, Saudi Arabia's first homegrown electric vehicle brand, was also recognised during the ceremony for its role in developing national talent through specialised industrial and technology training programmes that support the Kingdom's growing automotive sector. -TradeArabia News Service
On the sidelines of the event, Ceer signed a cooperation agreement with JVIS to strengthen collaboration in attracting, developing and empowering Saudi talent, building on an existing partnership aimed at supporting the growth of the Kingdom's automotive industry and increasing local content.
James DeLuca, Chief Executive Officer of Ceer, said the graduates represent the next generation of Saudi automotive professionals who will help build the country's first domestic electric vehicle brand.
"We are proud to celebrate the achievements of the Waed graduates. They now begin permanent careers with Ceer, where they will contribute directly to building Saudi Arabia's first electric vehicle brand. We also thank our government partners for their continued support in making this programme a platform for launching promising careers in the automotive industry," he said.
The Waed programme is designed to bridge the gap between higher education and labour market needs through a partnership between the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Education and the private sector. It aims to equip Saudi professionals with advanced industrial and technical skills in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
As part of the initiative, Ceer recruited the 40 engineers last year before sponsoring them through a one-year academic and practical training programme. The programme included six months of study at Kettering University in Michigan, US, followed by six months of hands-on training with leading global automotive and component manufacturers.
The graduation of Ceer's first Waed cohort marks a key milestone in the company's efforts to build a skilled Saudi workforce capable of leading the Kingdom's emerging automotive industry and supporting the development of a fully integrated national EV sector. - TradeArabia News Service
