Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — NEOM has entered into an agreement with the University of Prince Mugrin to provide job opportunities in the hospitality and tourism sector to hundreds of students from the NEOM and Tabuk region.

Starting in January, up to 250 applicants will be selected to participate in a hospitality undergraduate program at the University of Prince Mugrin. The program is made in cooperation and supervision with the École Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), the most prestigious hospitality school in the world. Students who successfully complete a scholarship will be provided with suitable job opportunities within NEOM when they complete their studies.

Tourism is expected to be one of the main drivers for the Saudi economy and one of the fastest growing non-oil sectors over the coming decade and NEOM is in a great position to contribute to the development of the sector.

CEO of NEOM, Nadhmi Al-Nasr said: “As Saudi Arabia opens its doors to more tourists, we want NEOM to be a major destination to attract up to 5 million visitors annually in 2030. Our partnership with UPM will support us in achieving this goal by offering members of the local community access to training from the best hospitality management school in the world.”

Director of Prince Mugrin University, Dr. Nabil Al-Rajeh said: “University of Prince Mugrin continuously seeks to contribute to the development of the national human capital through offering unique and quality programs in accordance with the best international standards, which will result in the successful employment of its graduates to meet the needs of the local leading development projects including NEOM.”

The announcement is the latest in a series of projects launched under NEOM’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program. As part of its mandate, the program is working with a variety of partners to provide scholarships to students to develop new skills and improved education opportunities.