ALMOSAFER SIGNS A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT PRINCESS NOURAH BINT ABDULRAHMAN UNIVERSITY

ALMOSAFER SIGNS A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT PRINCESS NOURAH BINT ABDULRAHMAN UNIVERSITY AS PART OF ITS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE KINGDOM’S TOURISM SECTOR

Almosafer, the leading omni-channel travel brand in Saudi Arabia, part of Seera Group, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Community College at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) based in Riyadh. The memorandum was held on February 15th, 2021 with the attendance of Dr. Samira Al-Ghamdi, Dean of the Community Service College at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University and Fahad Al-obailan, Vice President of Retail at AlMosafer.

Through this collaboration, Almosafer Academy, the brand’s specialised in-house training programme dedicated to shaping the new generation of travel consultants, will offer the Travel and Tourism Management programme - Community College students a series of training workshops throughout each semester to arm them with the necessary skills and industry knowledge needed to succeed in the tourism sector. At the end of each semester, graduates will be offered a chance to take part in a three-month internship programme at Almosafer. Almosafer will also work with the University on several community service activities, organising a series of events and seminars focusing on tourism, as well as developing the current curriculum to reflect the scale and importance of the travel and tourism industry in today’s world.

Almosafer launched its specialised in-house training programme “Almosafer Academy” in 2019 with the objective of preparing a young generation of experienced travel advisors who can support the ambitious plans to further develop the travel and tourism sector in KSA. The training workshops will commence at the onset of the University’s second semester with Almosafer Academy trainers sharing experiences and training students pursuing diplomas in tourism related studies with a focus on travel marketing tools such as Amadeus and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) skills.

The training workshops will be headed by Almosafer Academy trainers and delivered through virtual and physical workshops held at both the academy and university. In addition, field trips will also be organized in Riyadh for students training to become tour guides post-graduation.

Fahad Alobailan, Vice President of Retail at Almosafer commented: “Being fully aware of the benefits that greater collaboration between industry and academia can bring, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University. An important element of our partnership with the University is sharing our knowledge and expertise in travel and tourism with the students, which will in turn foster innovation and improve our understanding of the current and future challenges in the Kingdom’s tourism sector. Each student will benefit from the full force of knowledge, insights and guidance imparted by our trainers allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of the consumer travel industry”.

“Tourism in Saudi Arabia is a fundamental pillar of the national economy and plays a key role in the Vision 2030 reform plan. As one of the key players in the local market, we have an obligation to support our Government’s vision and direction to grow and develop this sector. In the wake of the pandemic, travel advisory will now play a greater role in restoring people’s confidence in travel, and through our team of experts, we aim to demonstrate the significance of innovation and impeccable customer service to the success of this dynamic sector” he added.

Dr. Samira Al-Ghamdi, Dean of the Community Service College at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University shares: “The Community College at Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University is committed to qualify their students by providing them with the best training opportunities in the job market. Therefore, we are pleased to partner with Almosafer to offer our female students of the Travel and Tourism Management Programme at the Community College the chance to get access to the brand’s vast industry resources and expertise and facilitate their growth professionally and enable them to pursue their careers in Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism industry”.

“With this partnership, our students will benefit greatly from a practice-based approach, training workshops and study tours. It will also leave a positive and long-term impact on our female students equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed by learning about the industry, contributing to the goals and initiatives of the academy and Saudi Vision 2030, thereby gaining practical and applicable work experience.”

Since its launch, Almosafer Academy has delivered close to 20,000 hours of training to over 800 Saudi Nationals training them on a diverse set of skills ranging from sales and customer experience to operations and leadership.