Conrad Makkah bolsters Saudisation efforts
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Conrad Makkah has signalled its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Saudisation targets, which include increasing the number of jobs occupied by Saudi nationals in the country’s booming tourism and hospitality sector.
By 2020, the National Transformation Programme calls on Saudi Arabia to increase the representation of local talent in the tourism and national heritage sector, which currently accounts for 900,000 total jobs.
At present, the tourism sector is the second largest employer of Saudi nationals in the Kingdom.
“There is a great opportunity for the private sector of the hospitality industry to invest in the national workforce of the Kingdom,” said Ismail Sirry, general manager of Conrad Makkah (Jabal Omar), the first Conrad property opened by Hilton Worldwide in Saudi Arabia.
“Our strategy has always been focused on attracting highly-educated Saudi nationals and empowering them with necessary skills and expertise to pursue a successful career in hospitality. As a group, we encourage qualified Saudi jobseekers to undertake all kinds of positions in the hospitality sector, because we believe that the national workforce is the sound voice of their local culture and the true advocates of their country’s growth and development.”
Officially opened in June this year, Conrad Makkah is aspiring to rank high for Saudisation under the Kingdom’s Nitaqat system. The hotel has already attracted a significant number of highly-qualified Saudi nationals working across different hotel functions, from security, F&B, Housekeeping, Concierge, administration to front office and HR departments. To further bolster Saudization efforts in the country’s hospitality sector, Conrad Makkah will be offering a two-year training programme to talented, recently graduated Saudi nationals to fast track them to management positions under Hilton’s Mudeer Al Mustaqbal (Manager of the Future – MOF) Program, offered to all 11 Hilton properties in the Kingdom. During the course, participants will combine operational and all-round experience in F&B, Front Office and Housekeeping, while working within main operational areas.
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