More than 400 applicants for the pilots program in Commercial Aviation and Aeronautics Studies at Saudi Arabian Airlines have completed the final acceptance procedures for the scholarship after having passed the initial admission tests. These applicants are the third batch of the program implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education as part of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Overseas Scholarship Program (Your Job First and Then Your Scholarship). Under this program, 476 students representing the first and second phases of the program are pursuing their courses at world-class universities, academies and institutes of aviation in the United States. A total of 254 trainees have successfully completed the educational and theoretical studies at these academies and institutes and have returned home for the final training course at the Prince Sultan Aviation Academy in Jeddah. Before launching the Scholarship Program, Saudi Arabian Airlines completed the training of 159 graduates, including 94 trainees at their own expense. During the first quarter of this year, 52 pilots and pilot assistants were trained and began their work on the Saudi fleet. During the past three years, 527 new Saudi pilots and their assistants have been trained. Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines, Saleh al-Jasser said that a large number of Saudis are being enrolled in the airline’s training and qualification program in view of the growing demand of the new fleet of aircraft. He explained that Saudization of pilots and assistant pilots represents a major strategy of the airline, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. These programs are a practical translation of the companys strategy in attracting and training Saudi youth in various fields of the air transport industry, in particular the aviation science program, Jasser said, adding that investing in the country’s youth has been the top priority of its strategic plan SV2020. Jasser noted that Saudization of the Saudi fleet crews is carried out according to a carefully implemented strategic plan. The plan is based on the quality of training in accordance with the highest standards and global practices, both during the scholarship phase or the final training and qualification stage at the Prince Sultan Academy of Aviation Sciences. He explained that the ongoing training programs inside and outside the Kingdom will enable Saudi Arabian Airlines to nationalize all the functions of a pilot assistant on all its fleet, while at the same time increase the recruitment of national pilots at an unprecedented rate. He added that the airline is proud to attract and qualify these numbers of citizens and join its growing number of highly qualified national cadres in the field of aviation and air transport industry according to an ambitious program and strategic plan taking into account the operational needs. He explained that this led to an increase in the number of Saudi cabin crew in the last four years by more than 30 percent, currently representing 25 percent of the total number of employees of the company.