OREANDA-NEWS. November 15, 2013. Saudi Aramco president and CEO Khalid A. Al-Falih joined with the presidents of eight contractor partners and the head of (TVTC) to launch the Maharat Training Center, which will prepare young Saudis to take part in the massive refinery project Saudi Aramco is undertaking in Jazan.

In a ceremony held under the auspices of HRH Prince Mohammed ibn Nasser ibn Abdulaziz, governor of Jazan Province, Al-Falih summed up the role the company’s Accelerated Transformation Program and the petroleum industry play in the Kingdom’s development.

“The strategy rests on three pillars focusing on supporting the Kingdom’s economy and achieving sustainable development,” he said.

“The first of these pillars encompasses the expansion of investment in major integrated industrial clusters in the Kingdom, which enhances the added economic value from this resource, supports the diversification of the Kingdom’s income sources, and contributes to providing valuable jobs for Saudis.”

The second pillar, he said, is “building the company’s capacities and developing its potential to achieve its strategic transformation. Several initiatives were launched, such as the development of the best-qualified human resources in the energy industry. The company has also worked to build a scientific and research environment around Saudi Arabia and establish research centers and technology incubators in the Kingdom.”

He added that the third of these pillars is “the establishment and localization of a national, integrated, vibrant, active and competitive energy sector, which not only meets all the requirements of the Kingdom’s energy industry but also competes in global markets with its products and services.”

Al-Falih addressed HRH Prince Mohammed, saying: “The initiative which Your Highness is launching today supports the policy of localizing critical services. Today, as the launching of this training center brings pride to the Jazan Contractors Consortium for Training and Employment ‘Maharat,’ we are witnessing a major step toward the fulfillment of a promise made to Jazan when you attended the signing of major construction contracts a few months ago. The Consortium’s center in Al-Haqu hosts more than 500 young Saudis from Jazan and the surrounding region, who are with us in our ceremony today. Another center will follow in Al-Darb, in addition to a heavy equipment training center on the project site, thereby bringing the total number of trainees in a few years to 5,000 young men receiving the highest level of technical and professional training.”

Al-Falih called on private sector institutions to implement similar initiatives in this regard, emphasizing the great benefits such initiatives will bring to the institutions themselves, to the national economy in general, and Saudis who will have new valuable career opportunities.

“I call for the transformation of this local one to a national Kingdom-wide initiative under the theme of ‘Qualifying Young Saudis for Construction Sector Jobs,’ to be developed and managed by a collaboration of relevant government agencies, major companies and the Saudi financial and business sector.”

In addition to Al-Falih, the agreement was signed on the part of TVTC by HE Dr. Ali N. Al-Ghafis, TVTC’s Governor and by the presidents of the eight partner companies, including: Hyundai Saudi Arabia Ltd.; SK Engineering & Construction; JGC Corporation; Hitachi Plant Technologies Ltd.; Petrofac Saudi Arabia Ltd.; Hanwa Engineering & Construction Corporation; Technicas Reunidas; and Al-Ali Al-Ajmi Group.

Maharat Training and Employment Institute will be managed by a specialized team led by Saudi Aramco and TVTC, with the participation of these eight global partners.

The objectives of the project are to engage the province’s young people in specialized training programs, qualifying them for construction jobs so they can participate in advancing national development, contributing to the economic development of Jazan.

Jazan’s history spans thousands of years, but its future will be brightened by the construction of Jazan Economic City and its port on the Red Sea coast when completed, which will provide thousands of jobs for Jazan’s young people. The Maharat Training Center is but a step on that journey.