Accor Middle East, one of the leading hospitality groups in the region, launched its all-new “Saudi Management Training Program” on Monday designed to nurture the careers of Saudi nationals in the field of hospitality as future leaders of Accor hotels. The launch, which took place at the Novotel Al Anoud in Riyadh, is endorsed and part of an initiative by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, which has worked with Accor's training academy, Tamheed to create this tailor made program for Saudi nationals. Christophe Landais, Managing Director of Accor Middle East, emphasized in his address that the Accor Group is deeply committed to the development of the local communities in which it operates. “The Saudi Management Training Program is an important initiative to us as we encourage Saudi Nationals to join the hospitality industry and look forward to nurturing their careers within our future management teams”. The program, a 15-month curriculum, will include a full academic term, combined with practical training. It is divided into two stages, first targeting the development of fundamental skills related to the hospitality field and a second, focusing on acquiring essential management capabilities. Upon completion and passing the final examination, participants may be granted an official Accor Diploma enabling them to apply for positions such as Assistant Front Office Manager or Assistant Reservation Manager as a first step in their development. Dr. Abdulaziz Alhazzaa, director of the Center for National HRD in Tourism from Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, said “creating job opportunities for Saudis in tourism is a strategic goal for SCTA and Accor is a major partner in achieving this goal. Great progress has been made in the Saudization process since the establishment of the SCTA, it has increased from 10 percent in year 2001 to 27 percent by the end of 2012. We expect tourism sector to be the major employer for young Saudis in the coming years. We will work with Accor and other major partners in the tourism industry to make the tourism sector more attractive to young Saudis.” There are currently 15 members of the program who have been recruited through an extensive search across the Kingdom's peninsula, in a drive spearheaded by Salah Oumouden, Vice-President of Accor in Saudi Arabia. Candidates will benefit from Tamheed's 27 years of expertise in the hotel industry, which will help them climb the corporate ladder through the development of their operational and management skills. The Accor Academy runs training sessions throughout the year and tailors training courses, which are adapted and appropriate for the development of the Accor employees. — SG
