RIYADH:  The Saudi Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) signed on Sunday a cooperation agreement with a Britains Cranfield University to design the Hadaf Leadership Academy, which aims to develop the skills of the private sector’s future leaders. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Sudairy, director general of Hadaf, said that these efforts would increase the number of young Saudis enrolled in the academy and further cooperation between the fund and the private sector. “Together, we seek to invest in the human capital that leads enterprises to achieving the goals of the Vision 2030 reform plans, in addition to helping them create competent leaders, giving the trainees skills and learning from global models in leadership development,” he added. The cooperation agreement is part of Hadaf’s efforts to contribute to raising the Saudization rate through training Saudi employees in the private sector. The academy seeks to transfer global experiences and activate the principles of effective leadership through cases studies and practical projects. The 12-week training program was designed as a five-phase integrated development journey. It starts with the nomination process, enrollment, the evaluation of applicants and selecting trainees. The second phase offers trainees five days of training, which includes the distribution of projects. During the third phase, the trainees return to their workplaces for six weeks to apply what they have learned. The fourth and fifth phases include five days of training, project presentation and the graduation ceremony. To enroll in the academy, applicants must be English-speaking Saudi nationals, work in the private sector, have a bachelor’s degree, five years of work experience and at least two years of experience in supervision and management.