78 Excellence in higher education
T he Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 hinges on developing a highly skilled, national workforce. At the recent Education Africa forum, Fadi Alaseri, Senior Director of Education and Capability Building at Red Sea Global (RSG), shared a powerful vision. RSG, the developer behind global regenerative tourism destinations like The Red Sea and AMAALA, is not just building resorts; it is pioneering vocational training and talent development, transforming the lives of thousands of Saudi nationals - including a dramatic increase in women joining the hospitality sector. Education Saudi spoke with Mr. Alaseri to learn about RSG’s employment-focused educational model and its strategic role in shaping the future of Saudi tourism. Q: Can You Tell Us How Red Sea Global Is Helping Develop Education And Skills For Saudi Nationals? Fadi Alaseri: When we launched our education initiatives, we had a clear mandate from our CEO: to create 10,000 life- changing opportunities. He chose the phrase "life-changing" because this goes far beyond a traditional academic diploma; it’s about transforming lives and creating sustainable, professional careers.
We began in 2019 with our first university programme in facility management, accredited by EHN. At the time, hospitality and vocational routes weren't popular, but through strong awareness campaigns and highlighting early success stories, we attracted young Saudis. Today, those first graduates are working across our destinations and are on track to become our future leaders. Q: How Do You Ensure These Programmes Match The Industry’s Real Needs? Fadi Alaseri: This is the core of our strategy. We conduct a rigorous "needs analysis" with all Red Sea Global subsidiaries and operating partners. Together, we identify the future manpower requirements, competencies, and exact skills needed for our upcoming projects. We then custom- design training programmes tailored precisely to those needs, ensuring our graduates are job-ready before new destinations even open. This alignment between education and guaranteed employment is crucial and strongly supports the vocational training pillar of Vision 2030.
Powered by FlippingBook