In line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and in implementation of the National Transformation Program 2020 aiming to support and promote the Kingdom's economy and develop the ICT sector and build national talents, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has developed partnerships with many entities to achieve its objectives and initiatives. And being aware of the importance of professional human cadres' role in driving the digital transformation at the national-level, MCIT has identified the challenge of lacking specialized human capital and poor user-skills in ICTs within the National Transformation Program - a program under Vision 2030 – as one of the most remarkable challenges that must be addressed. For this purpose, MCIT has developed 5 initiatives, overseen and implemented by it, of which 3 initiatives are geared to train, qualify and employ ICT professionals and experts. On Wednesday 08/03/2017 at MCIT HQ, MCIT and IBM have announced their collaboration to work together in order to enhance cooperative world-class programs. Pursuant to this agreement, IBM shall train and qualify approximately 38,000 individuals over the next four years, through 30 new educational institutions. It is also expected that 19,000 trainees will obtain certifications. In this context, the Minister of CIT, Dr. Mohammed Bin Ibrahim Al-Suwaiyel, stressed the importance of partnership between the private and public sectors that will contribute to the growth and development of the ICT sector. Dr. Al-Suwaiyel also noted that this agreement and other concluded agreements are within the programs developed under the National Transformation Program 2020. In this regard, Mr. Takreem Al-Tohamy, IBM Middle East and Africa, reinforced how this collaboration with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology will help equip Saudi Arabia's workforce with the latest technology skills around Cognitive, Cloud, Security, data analytics and mobility and how IBM remains committed to help develop the skills of the Saudi youth, enhance job market readiness and contribute to the country's future.
