An Elite group of Saudi students in the field of communications and information technology are heading to China for training

Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) is set to collaborate with Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, to launch Huawei’s fourth edition of the global ‘Seeds for the Future’ program. 

This year the Seeds for the Future program is expected to attract numerous  projects from a wide range of universities presented from Riyadh, each with the potential to be selected for incubation. The initiative aims to develop Information and Communication Technology (ICT) talent among Saudi students who will become tomorrow’s leaders. They will also receive focused mentoring from top Huawei executives and a chance to travel to Huawei’s global headquarters in Shenzhen, China, to gain exposure to one of the world’s leading ICT solutions providers.

The company held a special ceremony for students participating in the program at the headquarters of the Communications and Information Technology Commission in the Saudi capital Riyadh before leaving to the headquarters of Huawei in Shenzhen, China, in the presence of the Deputy Governor of the Telecommunications Regulatory Support Sector Ahmed Al Jarboo on behalf of His Excellency the Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission , Zhou Xinglong, Counselor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China to Saudi Arabia, and CEO of Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia Ltd., Dennis Zhang.

CITC has been collaborating with Huawei since 2015 on Seeds for the Future. With a shared vision on empowering Saudi Arabia’s youth, a total of 51 students have directly benefited as a result of the program, including throughtheir visit to Huawei HQ in Shenzhen.

Commenting on the launch of the fourth phase of the program, Ahmed Al Jarboo, Vice President of Corporate Communications, , thanked Huawei for its efforts in serving the community and how its keen on upgrading the ICT sector in the Kingdom. He also urged students to benefit from the experience in expanding their knowledge and linking concepts Theory in practice

Zenglong, Counselor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China to Saudi Arabia commented: "This is another example of the close relationship we have with Saudi Arabia.I am proud of Huawei's commitment to Social responsibility and the important role played by this prestigious company in the development of Saudi youth, The launch of the future seeds program in its fourth edition in this region and in other countries provides the cornerstone of building a digital world by developing the skills of promising young generation and help them lead the development process in their country."

Dennis Zhang,CEO of Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia commented: “We are pleased to announce that we will continue to partner with the Information and Communication Technology Commission of Seed for the Future in 2018. Saudi Arabia has a huge segment of young people and we are proud to announce our solidarity to empower these young people and give them the opportunity to sharpen their skills and help them become the leaders of tomorrow in the field of information and communication technology. " He added: "Huawei is seeking to collaborate with government partners to develop an ecosystem for the ICT sector, and the key to this is to guide and support outstanding young talents in the field of ICT not only in Saudi Arabia, but to provide them with access to institutions to develop technologies that will help the Kingdom achieve its goals in its 2030 National Vision. "

Originally launched in 2008, the Seeds for the Future Program is Huawei’s flagship CSR program that aims the develop local ICT talent, enhance knowledge transfer, promote a greater understanding of and interest in the telecommunications sector, and improve and encourage regional building and participation in the digital community. By the end of 2017, the ‘Seeds for the Future Program’ has had participants from 108 countries, and benefited over 30,000 students from more than 350 universities worldwide. Through this program, a total of 3,600 top college students have been able to visit and study at Huawei's headquarters in Shenzhen, China.