Star, a human capability development company headquartered in Riyadh, and global hospitality group Hilton have announced a strategic partnership dedicated to human capital development within Saudi Arabia's hospitality industry.

The agreement was signed at The Hotel Galleria Jeddah, Curio Collection by Hilton, by Salman S Gasim, Chief Executive Officer of Star, and Marwan Fadel, Regional Human Resources Director for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain at Hilton.

The partnership brings together Star's expertise in Human Capability Development with Hilton's global standards in hospitality to build, qualify, and enable Saudi talent across the full spectrum of the profession. 

Its offerings are designed for professionals at every stage of their career, from those entering the sector through to supervisors, managers, executives, and senior leaders, ensuring that development is continuous and available at every level of the organisation, said a statement.

Together, the two organisations will design and deliver a series of initiatives spanning training, certification, and professional development. 

One of the first of these will enable Saudi professionals to earn the Certified Hospitality Department Trainer (CHDT) certification from the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI). The CHDT credential equips professionals to design, deliver, and evaluate training within their departments, building an internal capability that raises service standards across teams. 

Further initiatives, reaching from operational roles to leadership and executive development, will be introduced over the course of the partnership, it said.

By developing Saudi cadres across all levels, the partnership directly supports the national talent development and localisation goals set out in Saudi Vision 2030, and reinforces the Kingdom's ambition to build a world class tourism and hospitality sector powered by its own people.

"Star has spent over a decade building the people behind this sector," said Gasim. "That experience has taught us that real capability is built deliberately, at every level, and over time. In Hilton we have found a partner whose standards match our own ambition for Saudi hospitality. Together we are equipping a generation of national talent, from the frontline to the boardroom, to lead the sector's future."  -TradeArabia News Service