Al Tayyar Strategic Online Business Unit joins forces with Google, Twitter, Amadeus, Facebook, and Udacity, to launch Jadarah, a talent accelerator program that nurtures Arab talent. All five partners are uniting to give young people an insight into some of the world’s most successful businesses and provide them with the tools to strive for their own success in the digital space.

Founded in the region, Jadarah, a specially designed six-month intensive program, will offer the opportunity of a lifetime for 30 talented Arab candidates who are looking to kick-start their careers.

In line with Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision, which places huge significance on the development of youth employment opportunities in a digital arena and sights the power of the tech-savvy youth in achieving the overall vision, Jadarah aims to foster the new wave of digital innovators and entrepreneurs in the Arab world. Run by Al Tayyar’s Strategic Online Business Units in Riyadh, Dubai and Cairo, not only will the program offer training for the 30 participants, it will also be a paid opportunity which will possibly lead to a full-time role at the online unit, or potentially with one of the program partners. Jadarah will be exclusively available to Arab nationals, with eligible candidates being fresh graduates and candidates with less than three years’ of professional work experience.

Commenting on this initiative, Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Dawood, CEO, Al Tayyar Travel Group said, “We strongly believe in the diverse talent in Saudi Arabia and the overall region and a program such as Jadarah aims to empower the young generation who contribute to the economy in line with Saudi’s 2030 vision.”

Successful applicants will gain entrepreneurial skills through an intensive on-the-job training under the leadership of some of the most brilliant minds in the regional and global digital industry. Each participant will rotate between different areas of the business, to experience different roles within the organization. Participants will also be associated to a dedicated mentor and will have the opportunity to join weekly guest speaking slots to build and enhance their networking space.

Muhammad Chbib, Head of the Al Tayyar Strategic Online Business Unit, said, “Jadarah has been handcrafted and developed as a stepping stone for graduates and people with less than three years’ experience to kick-start their career. Here at the Al Tayyar Strategic Online Business Unit, we are passionate about nurturing and developing local talent whilst at the same time acknowledging their efforts by reimbursing participants to gain the education and insights needed to steer their career.”

“The truth is that there aren’t enough resources available to graduates that will prepare them with the knowledge and hands-on experience required in the current job market especially in innovative technology companies.”

Jadarah will have three phases in its recruitment process. The first stage will require candidates to submit their CV, along with an essay that explains why they should be accepted to the program and what they wish to get out of the experience. Shortlisted candidates will then have to complete an online test to be in for round 3. The third phase involves an assessment day, where a shortlist of 50 individuals will be invited to the Online Business Unit offices for a series of activities, including presentations, a group exercise and an interview with two senior management team members.

Also involved in this initiative, Leila Al Omran, Strategy and New Ventures, Tajawal talked about the significance of this program and affirmed that it will provide successful candidates with exceptional networking, mentorship and training skills. “We need to educate people more about the tech industry. Jadarah will prepare students, equip them with the right skillsets and make them employable.”

Commenting on the program, Bilal Kabbani, Head of travel sector, Google Middle East and North Africa. “One of the remarkable things about digital technology is that anyone with a great idea can use the power of the web to launch the next big business venture. Talented candidates of Jadarah will attend a series of bootcamps on AdWords and Google Analytics delivered by product experts at Google Dubai. The curriculum will include local case studies combined with interactive and practical sessions which eventually lead to official certifications. By the end of the training, graduates will be able to apply their learnings to develop advertising strategies, as well as measure the success of their campaigns.” He added, “Core to Google’s mission is making sure people have access to digital skills because we believe new skills lead to new opportunities. We are very excited to see what great things Jadarah candidates will do when given the right tools and skills.”

 

From his side, Benjamin Ampen, Managing Director, MENA, Twitter, affirmed that “At Twitter, our company values include innovation through experimentation, recognizing that passion and personality matter, and seeking diverse perspectives. We see great value in our collaboration with the Jadarah Talent Accelerator Program because the applicant selection process will be based on similar competencies related to entrepreneurship, teamwork and communication.”

Through this partnership, Twitter will be involved in an educational context by providing training on the platform, digital media in general, and through 1:1 mentoring. Candidates will also have an opportunity for potential career opportunities in the company.

Talking about this partnership, Antoine Medawar, Vice President, Middle East & North of Africa, Amadeus explained that this program is a collaborative endeavor to meet the demands of local talent, in developing dominant skills and competencies for an international career in business or technology development.

“Through this partnership, we will work at the heart of the travel technology industry. Candidates will be challenged and inspired through training, networking and knowledge-sharing under the leadership of the best tech and business minds at Amadeus geared towards the future of travel, all the while learning the details of the industry,” he said.

“Entrepreneurship is the backbone of our economy. It drives economic growth and new jobs. How the region’s entrepreneurs can succeed and grow is therefore a central focus for us at Facebook. We measure our success by our ability to create more value for the economy as a whole,” said, Ari Kesisoglu, Regional Director, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa at Facebook.

“At the heart of this lies our work with young people and start-ups, particularly through exciting programs like the Jadarah Talent Accelerator Program that’s empowering the next generation of leaders in the UAE.”

Elaborating on their involvement in this program, Hisham ElAraby, Regional Director of MENA, Udacity said, “Al Tayyar’s Strategic Online Business Unit’s Jadarah Talent Accelerator Program is a testament to Al Tayyar’s commitment to developing future leaders of the Arab world. Udacity supports this by connecting Al Tayyar with graduates of Udacity’s online educational offering of Nanodegree programs. These Nanodegrees are created in collaboration with Silicon Valley giants such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook, and are aimed at developing best in-class technology talent.

 

Udacity mission is to democratize education by offering world-class higher education opportunities online that are accessible, flexible, and economical. Doing so contributes to strengthening the region’s talent pool, providing a more competitive landscape for tomorrow’s labor force. We are very excited to work with Al Tayyar towards shaping lifelong learning opportunities for the region’s future leaders.”

The six-month intensive program will be offering participants the opportunity to join one of two courses – Business or Technology Development. Each course will have a selection of modules available to participants including Agile Mythology, Financial Modelling, Google Analytics and Mastering the Elevator Pitch, all of which are designed to enrich the participants experience whilst being part of the Jadarah program.

 

 

The program is now open for applications.