JEDDAH, 10 May 2003 — A school for the hospitality industry, described as the first of its kind, is being set up in Jeddah with the cooperation of Swiss experts.
 
“Saudi Arabia’s busy hotel and travel sector has spurred demand for such a school that will train young Saudis and offer job opportunities,” Dr. Abderahman Belgat, Accor’s director of operations for the Kingdom and general manager of the Saudi French Company for Hotel Management, told Arab News.
 
The school project, to open soon, will offer two levels of courses — six months’ training in a department of the trainee’s preference like food and beverage, housekeeping, front office, etc. and a full-fledged three-year course involving both theoretical and practical lessons.
 
Moutaz Kayal, chairman of the Saudi French Company for Hotel Management, an Accor-Elaf Partnership, is the local partner for this project. “This enables us to meet the desire of young Saudis to train in the hospitality industry locally instead of going abroad. What’s more, Switzerland has a reputation as the world’s leader for hotel management schools. So involvement of Swiss experts in the operation of the local school will ensure that its curriculum and standards are high,” he said.
 
He explained that demand for trained Saudis in the hospitality sector had been consistently growing as new hotels continue to spring up all over the Kingdom, especially in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah. “What is putting additional pressure on the hotel and travel sectors is the visits of millions of pilgrims for Haj and year-round Umrah,” he said.
 
The school will initially enroll 100 students. Michel Rochat, of MGR International Consultant is the Swiss Consultant.
 
The Saudi French Company for Hotel Management runs nine hotels Kingdomwide, together accounting for over 2,200 rooms, with a total staff exceeding 1,000, 30 percent of them Saudi.
 
Accor operates 4,000 hotels and resorts in 12 brands worldwide. It is currently organizing a three-day roadshow in Riyadh. The roadshow will continue in Jeddah for another three days from Monday. Participants from the Middle East, Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia, France, the UK, Switzerland and Spain will join their local counterparts.

 

K.S. Ramkumar, Arab News Staff

© Arab News 2003