The Saudi Ministry of Finance and the World Bank Group (WBG) launched on Thursday the “Saudi Fellowship Program”, which will provide job opportunities for Saudi nationals at the WBG headquarters in Washington, or in any of its country offices. The Program aims to identify, grow and develop Saudi professionals; build skills of young Saudi talent in technical areas of critical importance to sustainable development; and increase the representation of Saudi Arabia at the WBG. Under this program, Saudi fellows will benefit from the exposure to an international work environment, on-the-job training, and learning opportunities, as well as mentoring and leadership development in accordance with international best practices. Abdulaziz Alrasheed, Assistant Minister of Finance for Macro-Fiscal Policies and International Relations, signed the agreement on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, while Issam Abousleiman, the World Bank’s Regional Director for the GCC, signed on behalf of the WBG. Alrasheed said, “We are delighted to launch this program in partnership with the WBG who draws on decades of experience on sustainable development and possesses a unique set of technical expertise due to its wide exposure to a variety of issues in the development field”. He added “this program comes in line with the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision which aims to strengthen the capabilities of young talents locally and globally and ensure they are equipped for the jobs of the future.” Abousleiman said, “The World Bank Group, in partnership with the Saudi government, is launching a Fellows Program for Saudi nationals. The program aims to recruit young Saudi talents in technical areas of critical importance to the global development agenda.” The Program offers a unique opportunity for qualified individuals, who have a passion for international development, to contribute to solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. The opportunities will involve working with governments, civil society groups, the private sector, and others in developing countries around the world, and in all areas of development, from policy and strategic advice to the identification, preparation, appraisal and supervision of development projects. This Program will help Saudi talents build their technical capacity and prepare them to take leading positions in international and regional organizations. The agreement is part of a wider effort launched by the Ministry of Finance through the Saudi Executive Office at the World Bank to identify, grow and develop national professionals at the WBG. — SG