The number of hotel rooms is expected to grow by more than 300,000 whereas new 100,000 jobs will be created in the next five years, local media said quoting a tourism and hospitality expert.
Deputy head of Hotels and Housing Units Committee at Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) said the number of Saudis working in the hotel sector currently stands at only 30 percent of the overall manpower. Most of them are working in reception, security and administrative works, he told Al-Riyadh daily.
The local market needs qualified Saudi youths and the mostly required skills lie in the English language as an hotel employee needs it in dealing with customers and finalizing their entry and departure formalities used in all hotels worldwide, he said.
The tourism colleges which exist in some Saudi universities need review of their syllabuses, notably in the English language in the early years of study, the importance of spreading culture of work discipline, long working hours and the spirit of team-work, he said.
In this context, he appreciated the government support to the saudization efforts and Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) which has been bearing 50 percent of wages of many employees working in the private sector firms. However, the government has to follow up and redress job leakage cases in hotels and other departments , he said.
Riyadh Gov. Prince Khalid bin Bandar and head of the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) Prince Sultan bin Salman have recently launched a strategic partnership between the Technical and Vocational Training Corp. (TVTC). This included the opening of a tourism and hotel college which will absorb nearly 2,000 students in 48 classes containing three English language labs, five computer labs, an hotel, a club, restaurants for on-the-job training (OJT).