JEDDAH, 19 May 2008 — Hundreds of Saudis have graduated from the Saudi Japanese Automobile High Institute (SJAHI) over the years and the local agents and distributors of Japanese vehicles have employed them. This was highlighted during Makkah Gov. Khaled Al-Faisal’s visit to the institute on Jeddah-Makkah Highway yesterday.
Muhammad Al-Ali Al Hamrani, deputy chairman of the National Committee for Japanese Auto Technology and Maintenance; Salim H. Al-Asmarei, director of SJAHI; and Japanese Consul General Toshimitsu Ishigure took the governor on a tour of the campus.
The governor, who interacted with the students, said he was very pleased to see the progress maintained by both the institute and its students. “This is a landmark institution training young Saudis and also helping them find employment suiting their qualification and training,” he said.
The Japanese consul general said SJAHI was a concrete manifestation of the long history of goodwill and cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Japan.
Managed by a professionally accredited team, SJAHI has the supervision and support of high-ranking organizations including the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the Saudi government representative; Japan International Cooperation Agency, the official agent of Japanese government; Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and Japan Automobile Distributors in the Kingdom.
The governor said the institute’s mission was noble and would go a long way in its contribution toward the Saudization process by improving their technical knowledge, skills and personality. “This project is one of the harbingers of technological and professional training and with such institutions we can be sure of marching toward our desired goals,” the governor later told reporters.
The automobile sector in the Kingdom is growing rapidly and requires constant update of technology and skills, both in terms of technical know-how and competency. “The number of graduates from Saudi universities and institutes are increasing every year. Yet, there is a shortage of skilled and competent Saudi technicians in the private sector, especially in the field of automobiles. What is more, automobiles are getting more and more sophisticated,” he said and emphasized that the establishment of the institute and the kind of training it imparts, both in classroom and at its workshops, were realistic steps toward Saudization.
The governor was acquainted with a new plan for expanding the institute’s facilities. Its curriculum is designed to create a professionally trained auto technician with real practical experience and the standard of a third grade Japanese auto technician.
The institute offers diploma in Japanese car maintenance, which is equivalent to the diplomas of other technical colleges in the Kingdom. It trains up to 400 students — 200 in the first year and 200 in the second year.
The institute’s yearly intake is of 200 students. The institute has 20 classes, each with 25 students. It has two big workshops with latest equipment for training and 80 cars for practical training, and a specialized library on the maintenance of Japanese cars.
Saudis not more than 21 with good grades in secondary school and proficiency in English can appear for the admission test. Selected trainees get a monthly scholarship of SR1,500.
