MBSC Signs an MoU with the Saudi Railway (SAR) to Train and Educate Executives
KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, 22 March 2022: Prince Mohammed bin Salman College of Business and Entrepreneurship (MBSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) today in the company’s headquarters in Riyadh, with the aim of providing academic and training programs to SAR’s executives in areas of business administration, leadership, and executive management. The memorandum seeks to develop SAR’s resources and its human capital by equipping it with 21st-century skills through the MBSC’s world-class programs that are taught by its global award-winning faculty., This agreement will contribute to the development of transportation and logistical services sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Executive Dean of MBSC, Prof. Zeger Degraeve, expressed his delight in signing the MoU with SAR, noting that the “relationship between the two parties began with the successful conclusion of two Executive Education programs that the College provided to SAR’s employees, which enriched their knowledge, sharpened their skills, and provided them with best professional practices on the executive and managerial levels.” Adding that “the newly signed MoU will expand the cooperation between the two partners, with SAR sponsoring its employees to join the School’s Degree programs, including the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA), Master in Management (MIM), and Master in Finance (MIF).”
Prof. Degraeve also pointed out that the MoU grants several benefits to SAR, including writing several case studies by MBSC’s Case Center that is considered the region’s 1st center of its kind, providing SAR with custom-made executive education programs that cater to the employees’ professional needs, and holding joint workshops and other knowledge exchange activities to develop their executives. Finally, the Dean stressed that the continuous investment in training and education of managers through similar partnerships is crucial to Saudi companies, as they strive to secure a steady flow of qualified talents that are fit to the markets’ needs and lead the country’s ongoing transformation.
Commenting on this occasion, the CEO of the Saudi Railways Company (SAR), Dr. Bashar bin Khaled Al-Malik, stressed on the importance of investing in the young generation and qualifying it to manage and operate the railway sector with the highest levels of efficiency and safety standards. He noted that “the company depends on its human capital to bring a paradigm shift in the Saudi transportation ecosystem, in alignment with the goals of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP), a key program of Saudi Vision 2030”. Adding that “SAR aspires to achieve global excellence in the fields of operation, strategy implementation, research and development, and the management of a wide network of railways between cities in the Kingdom that extends for more than 5,500 km.” Dr. Al-Malki noted that this partnership will enable SAR to improve its business and management practices, which will, in turn, contribute to enhancing the quality of life of train passengers, and invest in the talented Saudi youth.
The Director of Executive Education and Strategic Partnership at MBSC, Mr. Amin Khayat, stressed on the significant role of executive education and professional training to develop Saudi employees, noting that the roots of the relationship with SAR go back to 2019, when the College presented the “Management and Leadership Effectiveness” executive education program for 65 employees throughout a period of 6 months, which included 84 sessions and meetings and more than 126 training hours. Today, the company’s employees also celebrated the completion of the second executive education program that was titled “Leading with Excellence”, which was presented to 75 participants through 36 sessions and 54 training hours throughout a period of 5 months.
Moreover, Mr. Khayat said that the School’s programs contribute to providing SAR’s employees with leadership, self-learning, creative thinking, and teamwork skills, which give them the potential to spot and utilize opportunities, make effective decisions, and implement the planned strategies. He pointed out that these skills will contribute to attaining performance excellence and achieving the objectives of the Human Capability Development Program of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to support a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.
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