Accor Launches First Ever Hospitality Management Training Program for Saudi Nationals

Accor, a global leader in the hospitality industry has launched their all-new Saudi Management Training Program to develop the skills and expertise of Saudi nationals in the hospitality industry at management level

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, November 6th 2013 [ME NewsWire]

Accor Middle East, one of the leading hospitality groups in the region launched their all-new “Saudi Management Training Program” (November 4th 2013) 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, emphasised, 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, the 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% in year 2001 to 27% 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 Academie runs training sessions throughout the year and tailors training courses, which are adapted and appropriate for the development of the Accor employees.

The Accor Group, whose recent growth throughout the Kingdom, has achieved impressive results, is firmly committed towards not only achieving its targets of 100 hotels by 2015 for the broader Middle East, but also ensuring that this translates into a firm commitment towards a lasting social impact for the region.

Accor

Accor, the world's leading hotel operator and market leader in Europe, is present in 92 countries with more than 3,500 hotels and 450,000 rooms. Accor's broad portfolio of hotel brands - Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Suite Novotel, Mercure, Adagio, ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget and hotelF1 - provide an extensive offer from luxury to budget. With more than 160,000 employees in Accor brand hotels worldwide, the Group offers its clients and partners 45 years of know-how and expertise.

www.accor.com  | www.accorhotels.com 

Accor Middle East

Accor Middle East is one of the fastest growing hospitality groups in the Middle East. Currently, the Group’s regional portfolio includes a total of 60 operational hotels with 14,273 rooms in ten countries. Among the existing global brands ranging from Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure and ibis, new brands such as Pullman and Adagio are emerging as strong players in the region.

With over 25 years of regional experience, Accor ME is the first to establish a training academy. Dubbed as Tamheed – Accor Academie Middle East, the training facility is dedicated to educate and prepare staff at all levels and ensure optimal career development.

Contacts

Michelle Hogan/Havas PR Middle East

Michelle.Hogan@HavasPRME.com

Tel. +971 4 455 61 55



Ferial Kurimbux/Accor ME

ferial.KURIMBUX@accor.com

Tel. +971 4 395 15 13







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