Bechtel launches women empowerment programme in KSA
Construction giant aims to increase participation of women in Kingdom’s workforce
Bechtel, the US-based global construction giant, has launched a woman’s empowerment programme in Saudi Arabia which will focus on increasing women’s participation in the country’s workforce.
Working with Al Khaleej Training and Education, Bechtel will look to ensure women are trained and that those with undergraduate degrees are placed in the right jobs, said Abdulrahman Al Ghabban, country manager for Bechtel.
“Bechtel’s partnership with Al Khaleej Training and Education is grounded in 75 years of our commitment to Saudi Arabia and its people,” he said.
“Together, we are supporting the country’s Vision 2030 goal to increase women’s participation in the workforce to 30%. The Bechtel team in Saudi Arabia is honoured to be part of this visionary effort in the country that is such an important part of our company’s 120-year history.”
Al Ghabban added that this was not the first workforce enhancement program that Bechtel has carried out in the region, with the company starting a partnership with Riyadh College of Technology in 2017 to train and hire up to 75 students once they graduated.
The Women’s Empowerment program includes training courses in English language, information technology, and computer skills. The first group of candidates are expected to begin training in this fall, a company statement said.
Bechtel has worked in Saudi Arabia for 75 years developing landmark projects that have transformed the country. Major infrastructure, industrial, and energy projects include development and expansion of Jubail and Ras Al Khair Industrial cities working with the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu, King Khalid and King Fahd international airports in Riyadh and Dammam and overseeing a major phosphate complex and industrial city for the Saudi Arabia Mining Company, Ma’aden.
The construction firm is currently working on lines One and Two of the six-line Riyadh Metro and providing program management services at Jubail Industrial City, the largest civil engineering project in the world.
