{"id":111958,"date":"2025-05-05T07:01:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T07:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/?p=111958"},"modified":"2025-08-31T21:57:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-31T18:57:48","slug":"fhs-saudi-arabia-pre-event-feature-the-nextgen-investment-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/fhs-saudi-arabia-pre-event-feature-the-nextgen-investment-forum\/","title":{"rendered":"FHS Saudi Arabia Pre-event Feature \u2013 The NextGen Investment Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench, organiser of FHS Saudi Arabia.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

May 5th 2025: A brand new feature at Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia<\/a>, the NextGen Investment Forum aims to inspire top leaders to come together and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding education, training, and talent retention in Saudi Arabia’s hospitality industry.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

With 1 million new tourism jobs predicted by 2030, the Kingdom\u2019s hospitality sector is facing some critical challenges. First, notable skill gaps are evident in specialised areas like hospitality management, digital competencies, and vocational training in tourism. Second, only 8.1% employed in the Saudi tourism industry are women, and third, Saudi Arabia’s youth unemployment rate remains around 16%, with limited vocational pathways in hospitality for young Saudis.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

With FHS Saudi Arabia just around the corner, I asked leaders from Amsa Hospitality, Baraka Real Estate Investment & Development, Riyadh School of Tourism & Hospitality, Red Sea Global and Dr. Abeer Atallah Alamri, Skills Development and Talent Optimization Expert for their insights into the challenges, purpose and approach behind investing in the next generation of hoteliers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How important is investment in hospitality education to develop the next generation of leaders? What challenges does the industry have to overcome to develop meaningful strategies and programmes in this regard?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

According to Dr. Abeer Atallah Alamri, investment in hospitality education is crucial for cultivating future leaders by equipping them with essential skills, knowledge, and a professional mindset. Challenges include bridging the gap between academic curricula and real-world industry needs, attracting students amidst perceptions of long hours and lower pay, and securing adequate funding for quality programmes and resources.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Dr. Fabien Fresnel, CEO at The Riyadh School of Tourism and Hospitality said, \u201cThere is no tourism strategy if there is no talent capability building strategy. Building programmes is not the issue. Making the industry aspirational is one: attracting. Delivering the proper training in the proper format and leveraging technology with relevant content: educating. Making sure the industry is providing career perspectives and sustaining the training and development effort throughout: retaining. Attracting, relevant training, retaining = tri-dimensional equation.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Layla Alamri, Senior Manager \u2013 Education at Red Sea Global added, \u201cAs the hospitality sector experiences rapid growth in Saudi Arabia, a key challenge is building a strong pipeline of talent. To address this, we have launched a series of training initiatives to empower young Saudis with the skills they need to thrive, with many graduates securing employment with the company. This includes educational, vocational and on-the-job training, with 1,995 students benefitting since 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Industry leaders sometimes struggle to pinpoint the real barriers to attracting and retaining next-generation talent. Ebrahim Al Qassab, Projects Director at Baraka Real Estate Investment & Development believes that the struggle comes from viewing talent attraction as a recruitment issue rather than a cultural one. \u201cMany leaders focus on incentives but miss the deeper emotional and intellectual needs of today\u2019s generation. Young professionals aren\u2019t just looking for jobs – they\u2019re seeking purpose, ownership, and alignment with values. At Baraka, we redefined this challenge by embedding one of our core pillars: catering for the dreamers. We actively try to inject this spirit into Baraka\u2019s DNA by involving talent in shaping our workspaces and communities. When people see their identity and aspirations reflected in the environments they help create, they stay not out of obligation, but out of passion.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How can the industry attract \u2013 and retain \u2013 the talent that is needed to turn Vision 2030 into a reality?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cAttracting and retaining talent for Vision 2030 requires the industry to offer competitive compensation and benefits, foster a positive work culture with opportunities for growth and development, and promote the sector as a dynamic and rewarding career path. Highlighting the industry’s contribution to national goals and offering specialised training programmes are also vital,\u201d said Dr. Abeer Atallah Alamri.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Layla Alamri added, \u201cAttracting and retaining talent requires more than just competitive salaries. Employees need to feel a sense of ownership and purpose. In our case, this means ensuring that our employees are aware of the importance of their work to the future of the Kingdom, diversifying the economy and putting it firmly on the global tourism map.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Dr. Fabien Fresnel believes that the industry has a critical role to play. \u201cIt needs to trigger aspirations, deliver the proper messaging, manage youngster\u2019s expectations, and offer an entrepreneurial mindset in a corporate environment.\u201d He went on to say, \u201cI think Saudi Arabia has the intelligence, the expertise and the financial means to implement a nationwide educational strategy to meet the Kingdom\u2019s goals. It goes with building capabilities, and this can be done fast, delivering programmes and training efficiently. I don\u2019t see any roadblocks to do that if there is willingness and fire power.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Will strategic partnerships between private academies, government entities, and universities transform human capital development in Saudi Arabia\u2019s tourism and hospitality sectors?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cSince its launch, Amsa Hospitality Academy has signed agreements with some of the best universities and colleges across the Kingdom. One notable collaboration is with King Khalid University which allows recent graduates to enrich their academic learning with real-world practical experience. The first cohort is currently undertaking training at the brand-new Mercure Khamis Mushait and has experienced the dynamic operations of a hotel pre-opening phase.\u202fOther agreements include those with Princess Noura University and King Saud University. Moreover, we\u202frecently welcomed the Deputy Governor for Training Policies and Quality to our premises for an overview of ongoing training programmes that endow students with the required knowledge to pursue successful career paths,\u201d said Muin Serhan, CEO at Amsa Hospitality.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Layla Alamri added, \u201cStrategic partnerships are vital for knowledge-sharing and innovation. Our scholarship programmes with the University of Prince Mugrin and \u00c9cole h\u00f4teli\u00e8re de Lausanne are designed to equip young Saudis with international hospitality management skills. Drawing on the universities\u2019 technical and educational expertise, we are preparing future leaders to contribute directly to Vision 2030.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is your organisation doing in terms of education investment, particularly when it comes to developing Saudi citizens for roles in hospitality and tourism?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Dr.Fabien Fresnel, said, \u201cThe purpose of The Riyadh School of Tourism and Hospitality and its affiliates is to serve the country and the younger generations, help KSA pivot part of its economy towards tourism, deliver outstanding customer journeys to trigger repeat business, and overall ensure a bright future for millions of young Saudis whose pride will only be exacerbated as the industry grows.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Amsa Hospitality has its own vocational training academy, Amsa Hospitality Academy. \u201cWe launched last year in collaboration with the globally recognised Luxury Hotelschool Paris. Our mission is to help aspiring Saudi hoteliers develop the skills needed to excel in the hospitality industry. The academy is open to everyone, not only prospective employees of properties managed by Amsa Hospitality, commented Muin Serhan.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cInvesting in people is key to our regenerative tourism vision. Our Elite Graduate Program – now in its sixth edition – enrols Saudi graduates into a comprehensive system of placements and training programmes. We have also established a number of vocational education programmes to equip local talent with the skills to support the growing Saudi tourism sector. Our goal is to empower Saudi men and women, so they excel and drive Vision 2030 forward,\u201d said Layla Alamri\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Meanwhile, Ebrahim Al Qassab commented, \u201cIndustry leaders can create a culture where questioning traditional models of hospitality education and talent engagement is encouraged. Real innovation doesn\u2019t come from people who all think the same. It comes from open, honest conversations, especially between generations.\u00a0I\u2019ve learned to not just include young voices, but to let them help shape the way forward. Leaders need to welcome new ideas, encourage diverse skills, and mix different fields together.\u00a0At Baraka, we often bring creatives, educators, and developers into one room and that\u2019s where fresh, relevant ideas are born.\u00a0Challenging the system isn\u2019t about breaking it, it\u2019s how we grow and improve it.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

FHS Saudi Arabia takes place 11-13 May 2025 at Mandarin Oriental Al Faisaliah, Riyadh. On the agenda of the first day of the summit, the NextGen Investment Forum<\/a> aims to address the challenges of future hoteliers on several fronts by building a community of educators and industry experts, creating pathways to career growth, bridging the skills gap, empowering Saudi nationals, and fostering public-private collaboration.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench, organiser of FHS Saudi Arabia.   May 5th 2025: A brand new feature at Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia, the NextGen Investment Forum aims to inspire top leaders to come together and tackle the most pressing questions surrounding education, training, and talent retention in Saudi Arabia’s hospitality industry. […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":111961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"custom","single_blog_custom":"115649","parallax":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"inner-blog-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","number_popup_post":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":""},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[74,15],"tags":[],"language":[],"class_list":["post-111958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-news","category-exhibitions-festivals"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111958"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116558,"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111958\/revisions\/116558"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111958"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/syyaha.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=111958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}