JEDDAH, 20 December 2006 — Ten Saudis are proceeding to Pune, a western Indian city, today to undergo training in the entire gamut of automobile engineering at the Tata manufacturing plant.
Ahmed H. Dakhil, CEO, Mohamed A. Alhamrani & Co. Intertrade Ltd., told a press conference at the Tata showroom yesterday in which the trainees were presented, that this was the first group that would take training in all departments of automobile manufacturing. On their return, new groups would follow on a regular course. The training period will vary from three to six months.
“The trainees had an on-the-job orientation at Mohamed A. Alhamrani & Co. workshops and service centers here,” Dakhil said, adding that they all graduated from technical institutes and colleges in the Kingdom.
“The new move is part of the Saudization process. We already have a good percentage of Saudis in our company and branches and are constantly aiming to increase their numbers,” Dakhil said. Tata manufactures a wide range of trucks, buses and passenger cars, both petrol and diesel, and the training will go a long way in making our youth skillful in automobile engineering, he added.
“Getting young Saudis with aptitude in automobile engineering is quite difficult and yet we’re succeeding in scouting talents and sending them for training abroad. On their return, they will have the choice of taking employment with us. They will also be at liberty to take up jobs with other dealerships or agents,” Dakhil said.
The trainees will be paid a monthly stipend of at least SR1,000 during their training period and on return will be employed on a monthly salary of about SR3,000, he added.
Asked whether the company would send trainees to other countries, Dakhil said: “We had sent five trainees to Korea, where Tata has a car manufacturing base.”