Saudi Tourism Ministry Launches Global Program to Train 100,000 Young Men, Women

The "Tourism Pioneers" program will contribute to providing extensive global expertise to future Saudi leaders in the Kingdom’s tourism sector. Photo: Twitter Account of Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb
The "Tourism Pioneers" program will contribute to providing extensive global expertise to future Saudi leaders in the Kingdom’s tourism sector. Photo: Twitter Account of Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb
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Saudi Tourism Ministry Launches Global Program to Train 100,000 Young Men, Women

The "Tourism Pioneers" program will contribute to providing extensive global expertise to future Saudi leaders in the Kingdom’s tourism sector. Photo: Twitter Account of Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb
The "Tourism Pioneers" program will contribute to providing extensive global expertise to future Saudi leaders in the Kingdom’s tourism sector. Photo: Twitter Account of Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb

The Ministry of Tourism launched Tuesday the "Tourism Pioneers" program, which aims to develop the capabilities of 100,000 young Saudi men and women in the field of hospitality, tourism and travel.

Minister of Tourism Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb launched the program on the sidelines of the 116th session of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in Jeddah.

The "Tourism Pioneers" program will contribute to providing extensive global expertise to future Saudi leaders in the Kingdom’s tourism sector.

"We must invest in our youth today and create skilled and ambitious workforce to support the tourism sector at the regional and global levels, as this plays a major role in achieving the Kingdom's Vision 2030,” said the minister.

“This program demonstrates our commitment to empowering young people by providing them with the necessary skills and support.”

The Ministry of Tourism has selected the highest-rated institutes and educational institutions in the world based on their academic capabilities in the field of tourism and training, such as the Les Roches Marbella, Spain, Global Hospitality Education; SHMS Swiss Hotel Management School; Glion Institute of Higher Education; Cesar Ritz Colleges; Montreal Institute; ESSEC Business School; Ecole Hoteliere in Lausanne; European School of Economics (ESE); NSW Technical and Further Education, and Business and Hotel Management School (BHMS), Switzerland.

Selected applicants to join the program will benefit from comprehensive training courses that will enable them to secure employment opportunities in the leading hospitality companies in the Kingdom.

To qualify for the program, the applicant must be a Saudi national, speak English fluently, and be interested in working in the tourism sector and register on the ministry’s website.



Heavy Rain in Northern Japan Triggers Floods, Landslides

A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
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Heavy Rain in Northern Japan Triggers Floods, Landslides

A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)
A road is flooded after a heavy rain in Sakata, Yamagata prefecture, northern Japan Friday, July 26, 2024. Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds. (Kyodo News via AP)

Heavy rain hit northern Japan Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, disrupting transportation systems and forcing hundreds of residents to take shelter at safer grounds.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued emergency warnings of heavy rain for several municipalities in the Yamagata and Akita prefecture, where warm and humid air was flowing.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged the affected area’s residents to “put safety first” and pay close attention to the latest information from the authorities.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, one person went missing in Yuzawa city — in the Akita prefecture — after being hit by a landslide at a road construction site.

Rescue workers in the city evacuated 11 people from the flooded area with the help of a boat.

In the neighboring Yamagata prefecture, more than 10 centimeters (4 inches) of rain fell in the hardest-hit Yuza and Sakata towns within an hour earlier Thursday.

Thousands of residents in the area were advised to take shelter at higher and safer grounds, but it was not immediately known how many people took that advice.

Yamagata Shinkansen bullet train services were partially suspended on Thursday, according to East Japan Railway Company.

The agency predicted up to 20 centimeters (8 inches) of more rainfall in the region through Friday evening, urging residents to remain cautious.