ALKHOBAR, 4 May 2006 — Representatives from two of the largest construction companies detailed their training plans to eventually qualify thousands of Saudis for good-paying jobs in the construction trades at the Learning and Megaprojects Dialogue in Alkhobar yesterday.
Mohammed Binladin, vice president of the Saudi Binladin Group; and Hamed Amin, vice president of Consolidate Contractors Co. (CCC), both discussed massive training efforts with which their companies are involved.
Amin told dialogue participants of his company’s support of a Riyadh training center where students learn carpentry, scaffolding, pipe-fitting, steel fixing, plumbing and welding — all skills vitally needed in the construction sector.
CCC’s efforts are aimed at increasing the Saudi portion of its massive work force of about 69,000 employees worldwide, but he said more needs to be done.
“Training and development needs patience,” Amin said. “Our training facilities cannot train a large number of people in a short time.”
Saudi Binladin Group employs more than 50,000 workers in the Kingdom. Binladin said the company is working on the creation of the National Institute for Construction Technology, an ambitious effort that could be turning out more than 2,200 skilled tradesmen annually in the near future.
“We need to empower human capital and value it more than assets,” Binladin said. “It’s the most important asset a nation can have.”