RIYADH — The Qimam Fellowship program opens its doors to a second cohort, with the official launch of the 2019 application process on Monday. All eligible Bachelor and Master students studying in Saudi Arabia, or Saudi Bachelor and Master students studying at a university abroad, are invited to apply to the fellowship on www.qimam.com before the application deadline on February 28, 2019.

Qimam is a fellowship program supported by a coalition of leading national and international companies that aims to identify, develop, and empower the most promising and distinguished university students in and from Saudi Arabia to achieve their full potential. In its inaugural year in 2018, more than 13,000 university students applied, of which 50 of were selected to join the first class of Qimam Fellows (Class of 2018).

The program provides its fellows with leadership training by professionals from renowned companies, one-on-one mentorship from senior public and private sector leaders, visits to the Saudi Arabian offices of leading national and international companies, and membership in the Qimam Alumni Network. Upon completion of the program, fellows are recognized with an award for their distinctiveness during a high-profile ceremony, and their profiles are shared with leading human resources executives in Saudi Arabia to facilitate their career opportunities.

Qimam was founded by McKinsey & Company and Dr. Annas Abedin, a McKinsey alumnus and entrepreneur. It is funded by McKinsey and generously supported by Almosafer Company, which is covering all travel and accommodation related expenses of the fellowship.

Tom Isherwood, partner at McKinsey Middle East, said: “Last year, we met some incredible young leaders full of tremendous potential – we were fascinated by their stories and inspired by their personal commitment to creating a vibrant future for the Kingdom. We are thrilled to continue to lend our support to a program that we really believe will play a significant role in shaping their journeys.’’

Abdullah AlDawood, Chairman of Almosafer Company, travel partner of the Qimam Fellowship, said: “I am pleased to announce that Almosafer, the leading Saudi online travel platform, is sponsoring Qimam to help shape the leaders of tomorrow. The ambitious goals of this program largely reflect our own dedication to supporting the region’s youth.”

Dr. Annas Abedin added: “The Qimam Fellowship is able to provide a unique development experience for its fellows because of the powerful contributions of a very distinguished group of leaders and organizations. We are thrilled to work with them on this initiative and are deeply grateful to them for their support.” — SG