Marriott International recently celebrated its latest group of Tahseen graduates and announced the third iteration of the training programme, which aims to springboard local Saudi talent into leadership roles within the hospitality industry.
This announcement follows the success of the Tahseen class of 2019 in KSA which saw 37 graduates – 33 Saudi nationals and 4 Bahrain nationals – step into management positions within Marriott International properties.
The Tahseen program was developed in 2017 in partnership with Cornell University to specifically focus on fast tracking the next generation of local hospitality leaders from Saudi Arabia. The 12-month program focuses on applying practical skills across all departments, as well as developing an in depth understanding of leadership skills.
The training is led by teams from Marriott international’s participating hotels with the goal of accelerating candidates into leadership roles. Tahseen Saudi Arabia has delivered results – the first year of graduates stepped into managerial positions in 2018 and over 30% received an additional promotion within the first twelve months at their respective properties.
With the success of Tahseen in Saudi Arabia, the program rolled out across other MEA markets, including Egypt in 2018 and the UAE and Bahrain last year. Tahseen Egypt was developed in partnership with Helwan University and Professional Development Foundation (PDF) and received the Ministry of Higher Education’s approval, earning a bachelor’s degree accreditation in 2019. To date, Tahseen has enrolled a total of 282 students across the specified regions.
In line with Marriott International’s growth strategy for the Kingdom and expected pipeline of 6,000 new jobs in the next five years, Tahseen will continue to provide career opportunities for Saudi nationals in the hospitality industry.
