Since its inception in 2000, the primary mission of the Saudi Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) has been to provide job training and locate entry-level employment for young Saudis. But thanks to a new partnership with The Madinah Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship (MILE), HRDF now has another ambitious goal: to educate and support Saudi’s top young private sector leaders.
Earlier this year, The HRDF Scholarship Fund invited young businessmen and women from across Saudi Arabia to apply for scholarships to an intensive two-week executive business training program at MILE called PALM 6, The Program for Advanced Leadership and Management, at the end of April. The competition was fierce: more than 1000 applicants for only 50 positions.
Dr. Mansour Al-Mansour, HRDF Scholarship Fund
“We were sure that the results would be good – but they turned out to be great,” said Dr. Mansour Al-Mansour, head of the HRDF Scholarship program. “We’re thrilled with the caliber of the people and their positive feedback from the program.”
HRDF Scholarship Winners at MILE, Madinah, KSA, April 20, 2014
Dr. Al-Mansour said HRDF realized that nurturing and educating private sector business leaders – not just entry-level workers – is essential for the growth of the Saudi economy.
The two-week program was split into two phases: the first phase covered the global economy and strategic leadership in operations management; the second phase focused on strategic management skills for growth and profitability.
The 50 scholarship winners were chosen on the basis of their educational achievements, their command of English, their years of experience and their potential for leadership. They represented a wide and diverse swath of the Saudi economy: energy, retail, banking, transportation, IT and more.
HRDF Scholarship Winners at MILE, Madinah, KSA, April 20, 2014
One of the professors teaching at the PALM 6 program, Dr. Walid Hejazi of the Rotman School of Management at The University of Toronto, said “As the Saudi economy moves away from petrochemicals and becomes more diversified, it’s absolutely critical for private sector companies to develop strategies that create an environment that is highly productive and innovative. These are two key ingredients for companies to be globally competitive.”
And now, HRDF is determining how to continue the scholarship program in the future.
“We discover every day that we have more and more talent in this country,” said Dr. Al-Mansour. “People are becoming more knowledgeable and more talented, and these private business are the major driver of our economy.”
HRDF Scholarship Winners at MILE, Madinah, KSA, April 20, 2014
Bill Connor is a principal of Oratorio Media and Presentation Training.
