Huawei awards trainees at Saudi Chinese Job Fair to raise the employment prospects of Saudi nationals
Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, took part in the Saudi Chinese Job Fair to promote the employment prospects of Saudi nationals and engage the rising generation in the workforce. During the job fair, 70 participants of Huawei’s Future Leaders Program were awarded graduation certificates from Dennis Zhang, CEO of Huawei Saudi Arabia.
The Chinese Embassy collaborated with the Saudi Centre for International Strategic Partnerships (SCISP) to jointly organize this recruitment fair in Riyadh. The aim of the initiative is to increase Chinese-Saudi cooperation and promote China’s contribution in the fields of employment, talent cultivation, and knowledge transfer.
One key example for such contribution is Huawei’s Future Leaders Program, an initiative which provides technical education to Saudi nationals, particularly fresh university graduates, in order to prepare them to become engaged members of the workforce in line with Saudi Vision 2030. The program provides students with three months of technical training and hands-on practice on ICT projects.
Candidates for the program must be Saudi citizens and possess some background in technical education, such as ICT, mechanical engineering, computer science, or other business management courses. At the end of their training and upon successful completion of the final evaluation, students have the possibility to become official Huawei employees. Candidates will be able to follow two career paths within Huawei, either as a technical expert or in the management track.
Since the start of the program in 2016, Huawei has graduated four batches of students, for a total of 125 trainees. The results are promising: out of the total graduates, 97% percent were hired as official employees at Huawei.
Eng. Yassir Abdel Rahman AlDahim, Executive Vice President of the SCISP, said, “We are grateful to Huawei for their outstanding contribution to promoting the employment prospects of fresh graduates, and their activities in talent cultivation and knowledge transfer for young Saudis. Huawei is a model for Chinese enterprises Thankful and appreciates them for this initiative.
HE Mr. Li Huashin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Kingdom, has commented: “The Saudi-Chinese Job fair is another example of the close relationship between China and Saudi Arabia, and I am proud of Huawei’s commitment to implementing its social responsibility programs in aiding the development of Saudi youth. The launch of the Future Leaders Program in Saudi Arabia will provide the foundation for building a digital world by developing the skills of promising young people and preparing them to lead the development process in the Kingdom in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”
Mr. Faisal Ayad Al Otaibi, HR and Future Leaders Project Director, Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia commented: “I am delighted to represent a global company like Huawei at the Riyadh Job Fair. Establishing strong career prospects for young Saudis is a matter of national importance as we seek to build a generation ready to lead the Kingdom into the future, and programs such as the Future Leaders Program are of great value to the success of our national agenda. As a Saudi national myself, I am proud to play a role in providing the youth of my country with opportunities and creating a generation ready to build a better tomorrow.”
Dennis Zhang, CEO, Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia, added, “We are committed to supporting Saudi Arabia as it forges ahead on the road to digital transformation. A key factor in doing so is fostering the growth of a strong ICT talent ecosystem. Huawei’s Future Leaders Program supports the Kingdom’s development by creating a generation of technology experts equipped to achieve the ambitious vision of their leadership and pave the way to an all-connected, all-intelligent Kingdom.”
In addition to the Future Leaders Program, Huawei has implemented a number of initiatives to develop the ICT talent pool in Saudi Arabia. The company brought their flagship global ‘Seeds for the Future’ CSR program to the Kingdom in 2015, and launched the Middle East ICT Skill Competition in Saudi Arabia last year. Two teams travelled to China to compete in the international final and take part in knowledge transfer programs from Huawei’s global team of experts. After the success of the 2017 edition, the competition is set to repeat in the Kingdom again this year.
