The Red Sea Development Company Launches Second Edition of Annual Elite Graduate Program

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind one of the world’s most ambitious tourism projects, has received an overwhelmingly positive response to a nationwide social media campaign inviting fresh Saudi graduates to apply for the second edition of its annual Elite Graduate Program.

Offering a range of career paths, the program was initially designed and launched in 2020 to align with The Red Sea Development Company’s strategic goal to invest in the development of local expertise and capacity to support Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, which represents a significant pillar of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

“We are extremely proud that over 50 percent of our employees are Saudis, who each demonstrated their professional competency and commitment to excellence,” said John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC.

“We are launching the second edition of the annual Elite Graduate Program following the success of the 2020 graduates who not only completed the program, but have all been hired as full-time employees based at our head office in Riyadh and on site at our destination.”

TRSDC announced the Elite Graduate Program on its social media channels on Sunday 10 January, inviting graduates to visit the company’s website and apply for opportunities in specific fields including operations; project management; investment and finance; environment and sustainability; project delivery; corporate performance; governance and compliance; development; health, safety and environment; procurement; and learning and development.

Between 10-16 January 2021, the website received over 23,000 applications. The company will once again use sophisticated technology to filter applications and artificial intelligence to assess suitably of qualified candidates to narrow the field to 1300 potential candidates. These individuals will then be carefully vetted in a series of online evaluation tests and interviews to measure their skills and understanding of areas relating to the development of The Red Sea Project.

The program, which is due to commence in March 2021 for 30 lucky candidates, concentrates on job rotation, training programs and working alongside local and international experts. Frequent performance evaluations will be held with each Elite to ensure they are on track to progress on their chosen career paths.

The launch of the second edition of the Elite Graduate Program is the latest in a series of initiatives by TRSDC to provide unique development opportunities in tourism for young Saudis. The first Elite Graduate Program in 2020 received a similar positive response and resulted in the hiring of 29 Elites.

The company also provided 120 scholarships for Saudi students commencing their studies in the academic year 2019-2020. In cooperation with Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz University, students will complete a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Hospitality Management, accredited by the prestigious Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL). The program offers graduates the opportunity to be employed by The Red Sea Development Company or its operational partners.

Upon completion in 2030, The Red Sea Project will comprise 50 hotels, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and around 1,300 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include a luxury marina, entertainment and leisure facilities.