Dammam, Saudi Arabia, September 18, 2013 — Amideast, a leading provider of educational and training services in the Middle East, and Saudi Electric Services Polytechnic (SESP), a subsidiary of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), signed a large-scale training agreement today during a ceremony held at the InterContinental Hotel in Al Khobar. SESP was represented by Mr. Ibrahim M. Balghonaim, Chairman of the Board of Directors, SESP and Senior Vice President, Human Resources, SEC, and Dr. Shaker H. Al-Mahasana, Managing Director, SESP-Baish and SESP-Juaymah. Amideast was represented by Mr. James T. Grabowski, Vice President for Field Operations, and Ms. Leslie Nucho, Vice President for Programs. In addition, Amideast’s strategic partner in Saudi Arabia, Global Dimension for Education and Training (GDET), was represented by Engineer Hamad I. Almojel, Board Chairman, and Dr. Abdullah I. Almojel, Managing Director.
The five-year contract provides for the establishment of a training program designed to raise the English language, math, and science skills of 400 new SEC recruits annually. Amideast will set up and manage the new English Language and Technical Bridging Program at the Juaymah Training Center, a brand new, state-of-the-art facility north of Dammam. In addition to recruiting a team of educators qualified in the various subject areas, Amideast will manage the program, supervise delivery of all instruction, and provide comprehensive quality assurance services.
“This strategic partnership between SEC, Amideast, and TVTC will certainly ensure that Saudization within the Company continues safely and efficiently as planned,” stated Ibrahim M. Balghonaim. Mr. Balghonaim further stated that SEC has achieved a Saudization rate of about 87%, which is one of the highest of any other company within the Kingdom.
“Amideast welcomes this opportunity to partner with Saudi Electricity Company on a project of this magnitude. It is a privilege to assist SEC in meeting its training needs in skill areas that are critically important to the expansion and growth of this preeminent utility,” said Amideast President and CEO Theodore H. Kattouf.
Amideast, which is headquartered in Washington, DC, opened an office in Riyadh in 2010, one of a network of more than 20 offices in 12 countries that the private, nonprofit organization operates across the Middle East and North Africa. As the largest American provider of English language training in the region, Amideast enrolls nearly 75,000 individuals each year in courses offered by its training centers. It also works with numerous public and private organizations to advance their workforce development goals and build capacity. In recent years, a focus of AMIIDEAST’s programming has been the expansion of educational and training opportunities for youth.
