RIYADH — Golf Saudi and the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) have signed an ambitious new partnership which will see both organizations work together to roll out a multi-level, certified Arabic language educational program, the first of its kind, aimed at spiking interest and encouraging Saudi nationals pursuit of a future career in golf. The agreement with the CMAE underlines Golf Saudi’s seriousness in implementing training and education programs, designed to discover and create future national leaders for the Kingdom’s growing golf sector. CMAE will define, develop, design and deliver a custom made education platform in Saudi Arabia, drawing on its industry-renowned approach to optimize national access to the most definitive education and qualification opportunity in the game. The strategy will feed into CMAE’s existing Management Development Program and certification criteria, assisting Golf Saudi in delivering its core human resources targets of growing the domestic golf talent pool and ultimately creating new Saudi National Certified Club Managers. CMAE is a non-profit making professional association with members involved in the management of sports clubs (golf, tennis, sailing and other sports), health & fitness clubs, leisure, city and dining clubs located throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. CMAE is also a pan-European ‘unifying’ organization for a variety of national professional associations for club managers. National associations can affiliate with the CMAE, thereby giving their membership access to CMAE education programs, international activities and events. Commenting on the partnership, CMAE’s Director of Education Torbjörn Johansson said “Golf Saudi’s pursuit of creating a progressive domestic golf market is asking some big questions of the industry and leading organisations. CMAE has worked to develop a unique strategy that factors in local nuance whilst providing access and opportunity for those inspired to embark on a journey in the golf industry. “The domestic plans to not only train up but facilitate and equip aspiring talent is a major step and CMAE is proud to be a partner and on-hand to provide the tools and analytic expertise to elevate the educational uptake and qualification of Saudi nationals.” Looking ahead to the future, CEO of Golf Saudi Majed Al Sorour confirmed the importance of the programme when it came to securing the legacy of golf within the Kingdom: “Our partnership with CMAE is incredibly important for all of us at Golf Saudi, but also the golf industry at large. “The future of the game lies with the young and if we are to succeed, we need to convince as many young men and women as possible to believe that a future career in golf is as viable, as it is attractive. “By providing access to the necessary skills, qualifications and training in Arabic, we will ensure the jobs in our growing golf industry are a perfect complement of qualified, expert Saudi nationals and international specialists.” Al Sorour added: “At Golf Saudi, we want to be a catalyst for transformation by becoming one of the most innovative golf markets in the world. This is only possible if we are able to upskill our domestic workforce. Golf is good for business and can provide a direct boost to the Kingdom’s GDP, as well as providing lucrative jobs and creating new enterprise. “These are exciting times for the golf industry in Saudi Arabia and this agreement with the CMAE helps us to develop a world-class and modern training programme, which will support young Saudi adults in unlocking the full potential of their future career paths within the golf industry.” Golf Saudi, a subsidiary of the Saudi Golf Federation, is committed to delivering a dynamic national development programme that transforms the golfing landscape by embarking on a training and education pathway to mobilize against meeting the organisation’s target of creating 3,700 jobs by 2030. This agreement will be a meaningful step forward in meeting these targets by curating specific training programs across a variety of fields. Since its formation in 2018, Golf Saudi has embarked on an ambitious national golf strategy, which has worked to support the Kingdom’s impressive Vision 2030. This agreement recognizes the importance of training the next generation of Saudis to meet expected future demand, particularly from international tourists, enhancing Saudi Arabia’s perception as a golfing destination for its citizens and international visitors alike. — SG