Saudi Arabia’s Fahad Bin Sultan University (FBSU) has joined the SAP University Alliance Program (UAP) in a bid to boost the kingdom’s IT sector and graduate job prospects.

The agreement will give FBSU graduates the skills needed to add immediate value to the burgeoning IT market, and faculty members the tools and resources to vividly illustrate how technology can enable integrated business processes and strategic thinking.

Courses will focus on key Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) elements such as accounting, finance, human resources and operations management.

The program will exert considerable influence at FBSU, with 50 per cent of Business and Management and 30 per cent of Engineering and Computing students set to take part.

FBSU is the 11th university in Saudi Arabia to join the UAP.

“FBSU is known to provide dynamic, cutting-edge courses to some of the Kingdom’s talented students, so the SAP UAP is an ideal fit with our approach to learning,” said Professor Ahmad Nasri, president, FBSU.  ”In this respect, there is no better organisation than SAP to empower our students and inspire a thirst for innovation that will remain long after the course is over.”

“Our aim is to create rounded, rounded graduates capable of taking on the leadership positions of tomorrow and adding significant value to the Kingdom. In today’s competitive, fast-changing business environment, success at the very top can only be achieved with a strong degree of IT literacy,” added Professor Abdallah Lyzzaik, FBSU Provost.

Supporting existing business, engineering and IT programs, the UAP provides hands-on experience of key SAP technologies, including enterprise resource planning (ERP), and puts theory into practice through demonstrations, case studies and research.

UAP member schools gain access to the SAP Business Suite family of solutions, which includes SAP ERP. The comprehensive business software suite supports business, engineering and information technology programs, enabling students to put classroom theory into practice through demonstrations, exercises and problem solving, case studies, and research programs.

In particular, FBSU students will gain insight into how technology can empower businesses to optimize key processes such as accounting and controlling, human capital management, project planning, plant and materials management, and sales and distribution.

SAP’s UAP currently counts 29 members across Mena, incorporating 1610 students and 169 trained lecturers. There are plans to double the number of UAP members in the region over the next four years, a statement said.

“Saudi Arabia is currently booming, and SAP is dedicated to developing a fresh, highly-skilled worker base that is well equipped to support the country’s technology sector. Students from FBSU will now gain hands-on experience with technology and strategic thinking that puts them in pole position to secure business leadership positions across the Kingdom,” said Ahmed Al-Faifi, managing director, SAP Saudi Arabia. – TradeArabia News Service