Riyadh Air to support inclusion of Saudi nationals in aviation workforce

Image: Riyadh Air

Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air, the newly launched national carrier of Saudi Arabia, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Colleges of Excellence (CoE) to support the inclusion of Saudi nationals in the aviation workforce.

CoE, established by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporate (TVTC) in Saudi Arabia, provides training services in the kingdom.

The agreement includes the activation of a first of its kind female training programme specialised in the field of engineering and maintenance at the college.

It will include qualifying the first cohort of Saudi females in the Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme.

Riyadh Air said that the MoU will help the students gain insight from the exchange of experiences and information, with hands-on training and workshop to implement and support their studies, to be provided at the college.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Colleges of Excellence to support the launch of the specialised aviation programmes. By providing students with hands-on experience and specialised training, we aim to bridge the gap between education and industry requirements. We are particularly excited about the opportunities this programme will create for women in technical engineering and maintenance, paving the way for a more diverse and inclusive aviation workforce,” said Riyadh Air’s CEO Tony Douglas.

Ayman bin Mustafa Al Abdullah, the CEO of the Colleges of Excellence, added, “It is important to build and strengthen our partnerships with promising sectors and companies in the kingdom. It reflects our commitment to provide modern and specialised training opportunities that meet the needs of the labour market.”

Riyadh Air recent MoU with Prince Sultan University

As part of its drive to build a well-trained aviation workforce for the airline, Riyadh Air also recently signed an MoU with Prince Sultan University for the carrier to build its first simulator centre on the university’s Riyadh campus where future pilots will be trained in readiness to join Riyadh Air following their graduation.

Short-term vocational training programmes will be offered for pilots, cabin crew and ground crew in addition to more skill-specific programs across the airline’s ecosystem, including finance, legal, IT, HR, and project management.

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This article originally appeared on Business Traveller Middle East