RIYADH: A prestige Saudi leadership development program aimed at nurturing the Kingdom’s top young talent on Wednesday launched its third edition. Students from throughout the country taking bachelor’s or master’s degrees in the Kingdom or abroad, have until Feb. 27 to apply for the high-profile Qimam Fellowship scheme. Following a rigorous selection process, the 50 successful candidates will take part in two weeks of intensive training from June 2 to 13. The fellowship program was founded by management consulting firm McKinsey and Co., and Annas Abedin, a McKinsey alumnus and entrepreneur, on the premise that Saudi Arabia was rich with untapped local talent offering great potential to contribute to the Kingdom’s ambitious transformation. “Qimam offers high-potential university students access to some of the Kingdom’s most prominent industry leaders. The one-to-one mentorship, counsel and professional advice they receive will give them unique perspectives and opportunities to achieve on their tremendous potential,” said Abedin. The program was launched to identify, equip and empower the most promising university students in the country with advanced skillsets needed to lead in today’s ever complex world. Abdullah Saidan, associate partner at McKinsey Middle East, said: “Given the vast pool of intellectually curious, emerging talent in Saudi Arabia, the country’s youth has immense potential to have a direct impact on the transformations underway. “Strategic initiatives like the Qimam Fellowship have highlighted the many reasons the nation should be optimistic for its future, as the program has gone from strength to strength. “Nurturing young talent in the Kingdom is an obligation we take to heart. And it’s why it makes me proud to be able to contribute and give back in a way that matters so much to the future of our country,” he added. Since its inception in 2018, the fellowship program has seen tremendous growth, receiving 13,000 applicants in its first year and 18,000 in 2019. Last year, half of the 50 candidates selected were women. Students with a wide variety of scholastic interests and experience apply from all over the Kingdom. The program provides fellows with one-on-one mentorship from senior public- and private-sector leaders, leadership training by industry experts and professionals, and visits to the Saudi offices of top national and international companies. Selected candidates also gain exclusive membership to the Qimam Alumni Network and attend a high-profile awards ceremony on completion of the program. Fellows are selected based on their academic achievements, levels of initiative shown outside of the classroom, and their efforts or ideas related to social responsibility. More details and an application form for the program are available at www.qimam.com.