RIYADH — Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC) launched its first national scholarship program with the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism. The HRDF-Qiddiya academic training program, a 30-month scholarship program, will provide 1,200 local high school graduates with an opportunity to study for diplomas in hospitality and entertainment management from internationally renowned universities here in the Kingdom. The program will begin with hospitality courses from HTMi Hotel and Tourism Management Institute (Switzerland) and will be offered at the Higher Institute of Tourism & Hospitality in Riyadh, Jizan, and Al Baha. The agreement was signed by QIC’s CEO, Michael Reininger, and HRDF Director-General Turki Al-Jawini. “We are committed to building, training, and nurturing the future leaders of the Kingdom as they set out to explore the exciting fields of hospitality. We launched our inaugural scholarship program in conjunction with GEA last year, recruited our second batch of interns in collaboration with MiSK, and now, 1,200 local students will receive scholarships for internationally recognized diplomas, enabling them to explore exciting career opportunities in these developing sectors,” said Reininger. The application process consists of three stages: online registration, an open day, and an in-person interview. The program will kick off with the selection of the first group of 600 students in October 2020. After successfully finishing the post-graduation, they will be given an opportunity to work alongside industry experts at Qiddiya. Qiddiya is set to offer a range of scholarship programs to Saudi youth in the coming months.