King Abdulaziz University to establish Huawei ICT Academy to boost local talent
King Abdulaziz University (KAU) has signed an agreement with Huawei—a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices—to establish a Huawei ICT Academy that serves to enhance the training opportunities available to students in the rapidly growing technology field. The agreement was signed between the two organizations at Huawei’s global headquarters in Shenzhen, China; the signing ceremony was attended by an official delegation from the university and Mr. Wanghui, vice president of Huawei Technologies ltd. , and a number of company directors.
The announcement comes at a time when great efforts are being made to develop Saudi Arabia’s ICT ecosystem and encourage local talent going into the field. Today digital transformation programs are recognized as an important part of the Kingdom’s wider Vision 2030, with the development of human capital further supporting the National ICT Strategy 2023.
One of the pillars of the Huawei ICT Academy will be bridging the gap between the market demand and the availability of technical and scientific specialists within the Kingdom. Bearing this in mind, the Academy will initially focus on professional training in the areas of information technologies, internet protocol, and data storage.
Dr. Abdul Moneim bin Abdul Salam Al-Hayani, vice president for educational affairs at King Abdulaziz University, said: “By developing world-class programs and collaborating with leaders in the private sector such as Huawei, we are able to make an impactful contribution to the local community while supporting Saudi Arabia’s digital economy into the future.”
Mr. Faisal AlOtaibi HR Director of Huawei Saudi, added: ”The values of innovation and knowledge development are incredibly important in our digitally-connected world. Nurturing Saudi talent as they prepare for the workforce of tomorrow is therefore essential, and we are proud to be working with top institutions like King Abdulaziz University to help close the digital talent gap.”
The partnership follows Huawei’s launch of its Saudi Talent Enabling Program (STEP) strategy last year, which focuses on not just training young Saudis, but expanding the ecosystem for them to pursue satisfying jobs in either the public or private sectors.
