MAKKAH: The Jabal Omar Development Company (JODC) and the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT) Friday signed a 10-year strategic partnership agreement to train 20,000 Saudi jobseekers for the hotel and tourism industry. The agreement was signed by Abdul Rahman Bin Abdul Qadeer Fakieh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JODC and Dr. Ali Al-Ghafais, Governor of the GOTEVOT. The company will employ Saudis at its various facilities which include 26 hotel towers, 17 five-star hotels, nine four-star hotels and several tourist facilities. Fakieh said the agreement represents the company's religious and national obligation to employ young Saudis in one of the fastest growing and profitable sectors in the country. He said the training will open the door for graduates from the tourism and hotel colleges in the country. The training will include reservations, sales, personnel, financial affairs, general services, restaurants, kitchens, maintenance, operations and security. The international hotels involved include the Hilton, Marriot and Hyatt Regency. Further specialized training in the United States, Europe and Asia will be provided for graduates of the training courses, he added. He said the agreement, which also includes the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities and the Human Resources Fund, will see a board of directors set up to implement the strategy.
