JEDDAH, 19 April 2007 — As many as 381 young Saudis who received training in automobile technology and maintenance from the Saudi-Japanese Automobile High Institute (SJAHI), were honored during the commencement ceremonies here on Tuesday.
Prince Abdullah ibn Fahd, deputy governor of the Makkah region, officiated the function on behalf of Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed.
In his keynote address, Prince Abdullah emphasized the government’s policy of acquiring expertise and technology from advanced countries to take the Kingdom to greater progress and prosperity. “This institute is an outcome of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s visit to Japan in 1998 when he was crown prince,” he pointed out.
The deputy governor praised the graduates for achieving excellence in automobile technology. “Your field of specialization is as important as medicine and engineering,” he added.
The Kingdom’s labor market requires hundreds of thousands of automobile technicians.
“The government offers a lot of incentives to encourage Saudis to specialize in technology,” he said. “I take this opportunity to congratulate you on behalf of Prince Abdul Majeed and wish you every success in your future career,” Prince Abdullah told the graduates.
The deputy governor distributed prizes and certificates to the graduates who represented the third and fourth batches of the institute.
Mohammad Al-Hamrani, who spoke on behalf of the institute, emphasized the important role being played by SJAHI in training Saudis in automobile technology. “The management of the institute and the Japanese automobile distributors in the Kingdom, who are participating in this project, knew from the outset that this will be a pioneering venture and contribute greatly toward Saudization of jobs in this vital sector,” he said.
Al-Hamrani described SJAHI as a role model for other institutes to follow. He told the graduates that the country was pinning great hope on them.
“From this day onward your role will shift from that of a trainee to a producer,” he said. He said the graduates of the first and second batches had proven their capabilities.
Dr. Ali Al-Ghafees, governor of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training, commended the institute’s high standard. “Mastering science and technology is essential to cope with advanced countries,” he added. SJAHI accepts Saudi applicants below the age of 22. Applicants must be higher high school graduates from the sciences section.
All the courses provided are the same courses given in equivalent institutes in Japan. The classes are taught in English. It takes the students two academic years to earn the technician diploma. Japanese experts and trainers of different nationalities teach the students using equipment imported from Japan.
Prominent guests in the ceremony included Mohammad Jameel, president of Abdul Latif Jameel Group, Ali Husein Alireza, director and general manager of Haji Husein Alireza & Co., Mohammad Alhamrani, chief executive of Alhamrani Group, Hashim Abdullah Hashim, dealer of Honda, and Shinichi Sasaki, senior managing director, Toyota Motor Corporation.