Hospitality group Accor has signed a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism to recruit Saudi talent within the kingdom’s hospitality industry.

As part of the efforts of Saudi Arabia to broaden its economy and increase the proportion of local workforce in various sectors of the economy, French hospitality group Accor has signed an agreement with Ministry of Tourism of the country to train and recruit local talent.

In a press statement, Accor says that through the ‘Tamayyaz by Accor’ programme, the collaboration seeks to offer fresh graduates and others a path for career advancement, expedite nationalisation by identifying essential roles in each department, cultivate internal talent, implement onboarding programs, and design career growth plans.

The statement adds that upon completing the six-month programme, 256 trainees will be employed in their preferred departments within the hotels. It says that ‘Tamayyaz by Accor’ has three distinct tracks, namely hospitality specialist, hospitality operations and hospitality leadership.

The statement adds that the hospitality specialist track exposes local talent to the foundations of non-operating hotel departments such as talent and culture, marketing, finance, business development, and guest experiences.

The hospitality operations track targets departments such as food and beverage, front office, housekeeping, and engineering and the hospitality leadership track meanwhile focuses on fostering leadership skills by applying the Accor Leadership Framework. It includes leadership shadowing, global leadership programmes, and training initiatives funded by the Ministry of Tourism. Additionally, a supervisory development track will offer candidates a range of training programmes designed to enhance potential future growth.

“This partnership with Accor marks a significant milestone in our efforts to grow Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector and create job opportunities for our citizens. With Tamayyaz by Accor, we are confident that Saudi talent will be well-equipped to succeed in the ever-evolving world of hospitality,” says Mohammed Muin Bushnag, Deputy Minister of Tourism for Human Capital Development.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism to empower local Saudi talent in the hospitality industry. Tamayyaz by Accor demonstrates our commitment to fast-tracking the nationalisation of the hospitality sector, providing young Saudi nationals with an outstanding opportunity to develop the skills and expertise required to flourish in this dynamic industry,” says Jean-Jacques Morin, Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Premium, Midscale and Economy Division Chief Executive Officer at Accor.