Marriott International, the world’s largest hotel company, and leading Saudi five-star hospitality company Dur Hospitality, have launched a program designed to fast-track Saudi nationals into the hospitality industry.

Tahseen is a 12- to 18-month Leadership Development Program which will offer Saudi male and female college and university graduates, as well as current Marriott employees and nationals passionate about entering the hospitality industry, full immersion into all aspects of the hospitality business.

Up to 50 Saudi nationals are expected to enroll on the tailored, culturally-sensitive program, with recruitment activity set to start in February 2017. The recruitment process will be supported by INJAZ Al-Arab, a non-profit youth-focused organisation which will raise awareness of hospitality as a career opportunity to students in high schools, colleges and universities in Saudi Arabia.

Having enrolled on Tahseen, participants will initially receive soft skills and workplace culture training from Education for Employment (EFE), whose mission is to create job opportunities for unemployed youth in the Middle East. This will be followed by a six-month component exposing participants to various different disciplines within the hospitality industry such as HR, finance, sales and marketing and engineering.

Participants will then specialise in the discipline of their choice for the next six to 12 months, benefitting from world-class tuition from Cornell University, locally delivered by Cornell instructors as part of its executive leadership workshop program, as well as e-Cornell certificate programs. Participants will also have access to Marriott International’s world-renowned core management development programs.

Having qualified, individuals will be offered a managerial role at a Marriott property in Saudi Arabia.  

Alex Kyriakidis, President and Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International, said: “Tahseen gives Marriott International the opportunity to create a paradigm shift in the perception of hospitality among Saudi nationals. It responds to strong demand in the market for Saudi talent by showcasing careers in hospitality to the next generation of hoteliers, benefiting both Arab youth as well as the industry.”

According to Thomas Kline, Executive Director of Executive Education, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, hotel management today requires complex technical skills. 

“Today, hoteliers must be masterful business people. Cornell will provide Tahseen participants with the opportunity to learn industry-specific business knowledge and skills, contributing via our award-winning online courses as well as classroom learning sessions. Our instructors are experts in the business of hotels and in the science of human learning.”

David Leman, Chief Human Resources Officer MEA, Marriott International, says Tahseen is closely aligned with the Kingdom’s strategic economic objectives.

“Hospitality is a key economic pillar of the 2030 economic vision and we see a great potential to assist with addressing unemployment, addressing opportunities across the economy and to grow our business in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is considered one of Marriott International’s top-tier destinations in the Middle East and Africa. The company currently operates 20 properties in the country with almost 6,000 rooms, and by 2022 will bring onstream a further 34 properties with an additional 9,000 rooms.

However, the region’s hospitality industry has long struggled to attract national talent, with many traditionally preferring jobs in the public sector, oil or banking industries. Kyriakidis says Tahseen will showcase the opportunities in hospitality for nationals, while meeting the company’s long-term demand for indigenous management skills.

“Marriott International’s interests now and in the future are best served with Saudi nationals leading in our business in Saudi Arabia,” he states.

As well as ambitious expansion plans in Saudi Arabia, the company is expected to have a total of 130,000 to 140,000 rooms either operating or in the pipeline in the Middle East and Africa within five years, which will require some 60,000 new staff to manage and operate. In addition to Saudi Arabia, Tahseen is being rolled out in other GCC states.

Explaining the timing behind the launch of Tahseen, Kyriakidis added: “The program comes as the oil price has taken its toll, and this has perhaps released sufficient demand from Saudi youth to consider entering this industry. And we felt if that’s the case then we need something very special.

“I would like to think that in 10 years from now I will be able to walk around any of our hotels in Saudi Arabia and all leadership roles across the property will be filled by Saudi nationals.”