From left: Hisham Al Khaldi, Regional HR Manager KSA & Egypt; Saudi Minister of Labor Adel Fakieh; Mohammed Abdul Aziz Alshaya, Executive chairman, Retail Division; and Mohammed Abdul Lateef Alshaya. RIYADH — Alshaya International Trading Co., a leading international retail franchise operator, has officially opened the Alshaya Retail Academy in Riyadh under the sponsorship of Saudi Minister of Labor Adel Fakieh. The Academy is the first of its kind in the Kingdom providing young Saudi men and women with first-hand experience in retail including store management, customer care, marketing and merchandising. The Retail Academy effectively trains Saudi citizens in all aspects of the retail sector which gives them enhanced opportunities for full time employment prospects in the private sector. The Retail Academy supports the Ministry of Labor's efforts to nationalize the country's workforce in the private sector. It aims to provide 8,000 Saudi men and women with full-time employment positions across Alshaya's many retail outlets in the Kingdom within the next five years. This joint effort between Alshaya and the Saudi government is the outcome of a strategic partnership with the HRDF which was signed earlier this year to establish a number of similar training centers across the country. “The opening of Alshaya's Retail Academy highlights the importance of a joint cooperation between government bodies and the private sector to better serve our Saudization initiatives,” Fakieh said. “It is imperative that we provide our youth with opportunities for professional development so that they can forge rewarding and successful careers for the future. We would like to thank Alshaya for their continuous support in our nationalization efforts.” Mohammed Alshaya, Executive Chairman of Alshaya, added: “The opening of this first training center in Riyadh is part of our ongoing commitment to support the development of young people... Through our partnership with the government, I am confident that we can help to introduce more young Saudis to roles in the private sector and in doing so we can contribute to the country's ongoing economic development and wellbeing.” — SG
