Al Marwa Rayhaan by Rotana, a luxury hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, has stepped up its Saudisation efforts through its “Duroob” programme, with plans to achieve over 45 per cent nationalisation by the end of the year.

The Duroob progammme, which aims at increasing the rate of nationalisation, was designed to be used in all of its hotels across the Gulf countries. In Saudi Arabia, the programme focuses primarily on empowering Saudis in the hospitality industry with career opportunities that also contribute greatly to the Saudisation of the local work force.

“We are focusing on participants in the King Abdullah Scholarship Programme who graduated with degrees in the hospitality and related industries,” said Bassam Khanfar, general manager of Al Marwa Rayhaan by Rotana. “We have six of those graduates on our payroll now and we expect to hire more in the coming months.”

In addition to being a fast track development programme that will drive local talent to grow faster within the hospitality industry, the “Duroob” programme addresses unemployment among citizens by bridging the gap between local and foreign workers in the labour market. This programme is instrumental in helping young nationals secure jobs by providing them with the necessary training and work experience to understand the working environment and be motivated to pursue a career within this industry.

Rotana is also expanding its presence in Riyadh with the upcoming opening of Rosh Rayhaan by Rotana, Riyadh, which has focused its recruitment efforts on attracting local talent to the new property. – TradeArabia News Service