BrazilIBM Consulting launches Himmah program for Saudi talent
The Saudi Arabian arm of IBM Consulting has launched Himmah, a program that trains and upskills local Saudi talent.
The new Himmah program (Himmah means ‘determination’ in Arabic) aims to empower professionals with the knowledge, skills, and expertise necessary to accelerate their careers in the consulting industry. The program is a tailored edition of the IBM Consulting Associates program, which the consulting firm runs in 50+ market worldwide to support the hiring of young professionals.
“By combining traditional consulting expertise with skills in the latest technologies, we are training a new breed of professionals who are poised to make a lasting impact,” said Khaled Al-Ofaysan, Managing Partner and Country Manager of IBM Consulting in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Ofaysan said that the program’s launch is part of the company’s wider commitment to upskilling Saudi talent, which is a key pillar of the nation’s Vision 2030. Meanwhile, Himmah will at the same time help IBM Consulting grow its pool of national talent to meet Saudization requirements – government policy currently requires consultancies to ensure that at least 40% of their staff are Saudi nationals.
Saudization has seen most major international consulting firms establish training programs dedicated to Saudi nationals, including KPMG, which last week launched its ‘Hamaat’ program.
“Himmah embodies our longstanding commitment to education and commitment to fostering local talent and supporting Saudi Arabia Vision 2030,” stated Al-Ofaysan. “We will continue to work side-by-side with the proper entities to identify opportunities where we can invest in talent development to help define the skills needed to support the country’s development agenda.”
The inaugural class
IBM Consulting said that tens of Saudi nationals will be involved in the inaugural edition of Himmah. As part of the 12-month program, they will first undergo an extensive 5-week training period focused on different fields of expertise within IBM Consulting, such as cloud, data science, artificial intelligence, as well as soft skills.
Upon completion of the training, Himmah participants will be placed directly into projects related to their skillset where they will continue to further develop their skills, while receiving coaching and feedback from more senior team members. Follow-on training will be provided in line with their career paths and individual needs.
