Riyadh Air has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Prince Sultan University (PSU) as part of wider initiatives to prepare the next generation of leaders within the Saudi Arabian aviation sector. The MoU will see Riyadh Air build its first simulator center on the University’s Riyadh campus where future pilots will be trained in readiness to join Riyadh Air following their graduation.
In addition to building world-class facilities to assist in the future development of the Kingdom’s aviation sector, Riyadh Air and PSU will collaborate to provide exciting learning opportunities for students who aspire to pursue a career in commercial aviation. Short-term vocational training programs will be offered for pilots, cabin crew and ground crew in addition to more skill-specific programs across the airline ecosystem, including finance, legal, IT, HR, and project management.
Riyadh Air will also work alongside PSU to build long-term academic programs. The programs will offer rich learning opportunities, where PSU students can opt in through a graduate program and provide a pathway towards a career in a wide range of aviation roles.
Peter Bellew, COO of Riyadh Air, said: “We believe that investing in the future of the aviation industry is vital for the joint success and growth of Riyadh Air and the Kingdom. Our collaboration with Prince Sultan University marks another step in Riyadh Air’s efforts to offer unique learning platforms for local youth as they look to choose and develop their careers. This program aims to create more jobs within Saudi Arabia, ensure sustainability, and qualify Saudi youth by launching initiatives that enable them to join the job market and contribute to the growth and competitiveness of the sector.”
Dr. Ahmed S. Yamani, President of PSU, remarked on the occasion: “The collaboration between our University and Riyadh Air comes from a mutual interest and care for the development and enrichment of the students who are interested in careers in the aviation sector.
Prince Sultan University prides itself on its graduate students that study at our university, which is ranked first Kingdom-wide in regard to employment after graduation. Our faculty staff takes pride in the variety of programs and learnings available at PSU and in our strides towards achieving Saudi Vision 2030 launched by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
The MoU was signed in a ceremony at Prince Sultan University in Riyadh in July and comes as part of Riyadh Air’s ongoing knowledge-sharing initiatives, with the airline recently launching its first graduate program. Fresh graduates enrolled in the program receive training from experts in the field, both from Riyadh Air and from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association of the world’s airlines. They will also get hands-on experience by rotating in seven different departments at Riyadh Air.
The establishment of Riyadh Air is part of the Kingdom’s strategies to unlock the capabilities of promising sectors that can help drive the diversification of the local economy, adding USD20 billion to non-oil GDP growth, and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs, supporting the industry’s global competitiveness in line with Vision 2030.
