Golf Saudi and the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) have signed a new partnership which will see both organisations work together to roll out a multi-level, educational programme aimed at encouraging Saudi nationals to pursue a career in golf.
The agreement with the CMAE underlines Golf Saudi’s seriousness in implementing training and education programmes, designed to discover and create future national leaders for the Kingdom’s growing golf sector.
CMAE will define, develop, design and deliver a custom-made education platform in Saudi Arabia, drawing on its industry-renowned approach to optimise national access to the most definitive education and qualification opportunity in the game.
The strategy will feed into CMAE’s existing Management Development Programme and certification criteria, assisting Golf Saudi in delivering its core human resources targets of growing the domestic golf talent pool and ultimately creating new Saudi National Certified Club Managers.
Commenting on the partnership, Torbjörn Johanssonm CMAE’s Director of Education, said: “Golf Saudi’s pursuit of creating a progressive domestic golf market is asking some big questions of the industry and leading organisations. CMAE has worked to develop a unique strategy that factors in local nuance whilst providing access and opportunity for those inspired to embark on a journey in the golf industry. The domestic plans to not only train up but facilitate and equip aspiring talent is a major step and CMAE is proud to be a partner and on-hand to provide the tools and analytic expertise to elevate the educational uptake and qualification of Saudi Nationals.”
Majed Al Sorour, CEO of Golf Saudi, said: “Our partnership with CMAE is incredibly important for all of us at Golf Saudi, but also the golf industry at large. The future of the game lies with the young and if we are to succeed, we need to convince as many young men and women as possible to believe that a future career in golf is as viable, as it is attractive. By providing access to the necessary skills, qualifications and training in Arabic, we will ensure the jobs in our growing golf industry are a perfect complement of qualified, expert Saudi Nationals and international specialists.”
Al Sorour continued: “At Golf Saudi, we want to be a catalyst for transformation by becoming one of the most innovative golf markets in the world. This is only possible if we are able to upskill our domestic workforce. Golf is good for business and can provide a direct boost to the Kingdom’s GDP, as well as providing jobs and creating new enterprise. These are exciting times for the golf industry in Saudi Arabia and this agreement with the CMAE helps us to develop a world-class and modern training programme, which will support young Saudi adults in unlocking the full potential of their future career paths within the golf industry.”
Golf Saudi has set a target of creating 3,700 jobs in golf for it citizens by 2030. This agreement will be a meaningful step forward in meeting these targets by curating specific training programmes across a variety of fields.
