How phone apps can help Saudi Arabia fill 1 million tourism jobs for Vision 2030

Apps could be used to help train Saudi youngsters as part of a drive to create 1 million jobs in the tourism sector by 2030. A shortage of training in the hospitality sector could be met by using e-learning apps, says a British firm working with the Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC). Tourism and entertainment are forecast to become major contributors to Saudi Arabia’s GDP by 2030 and industry experts are discussing ways to meet the demands of the rapidly expanding tourism sector. Dr Michael Klees, the executive director of training and development at ‎Qiddiya Investment Company, says the kingdom is facing the "mother of challenges" in its bid to fill tourism industry posts being created as part of Vision 2030, a strategy to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy. A workshop was set up by the SBJBC to discuss the needs and opportunities for the expanding tourism sector. Increases in domestic and foreign visitors as part of Vision 2030 and a range of new hotels are expected to create strong demand for a skilled workforce to run the sector. Dr Klees said there are only around 25 institutions in Saudi Arabia offering specialist training. "One million jobs will need to be filled in the tourist sector, 700,000 by Saudi nationals," he said. "If we compare this to the current situation in the hospitality sector, only 24 per cent are Saudi nationals "A significant portion of new jobs will be created and these jobs require qualifications. The mother of challenges will be the supply and demand gap. The gap is mindboggling. There are only 25 well-established institutions providing hospitality education and only nine focus exclusively on the sector.” Matthew Anderson, the managing director of British vocational education group TVET UK, said apps could be used to train people remotely. “There is no reason why we cannot give young Saudis an app on their phone and teach them directly," he said. “There’s nothing to stop us giving 10,000, 20,000 young Saudis an app on their phone to teach them hospitality and training to simulate, for example, a front desk in a hotel. “We do not need a two-year diploma for some of these tasks, you need six weeks training, and that can now be delivered to a certain level of efficiency online. "We need to get going on this, get these apps on to the phones … start the learning and stop talking about the strategies.” Hammad Albalawi of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism said the exciting ventures will see the nation become an attractive destination. “The kingdom has the ambition to become a top tourism destination by 2030. We have a rich cultural heritage, we have more than 10,000 natural, cultural and heritage sites, and significant giga projects that will be launched in the coming years that will showcase the unique value proposition for Saudi Arabia,” he said. The SBJBC is hosting a number of events as part of Vision 2030 initiatives. Recent examples include the hosting of a Saudi Arabian smart city delegation in the UK, a renewable energy mission to the kingdom and a sustainable investment programme on green finance and investing. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund announced last month it was launching a new venture that will invest $3 billion in developing tourism and infrastructure projects in a mountainous area of the Asir region. The Soudah Development Company will help attract tourists to Soudah and Rijal Alma’a with the aim of contributing $8bn to Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product by 2030. The venture aims to attract more than two million visitors annually and create 8,000 permanent jobs by 2030.

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