- Dusit Thani College launched its hospitality education programs in Saudi Arabia, marking a major expansion into one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism markets.
- The initiative comes through a strategic tie-up with Alkhaleej Training and Education, making Saudi Arabia the first international licensing hub for Dusit’s Talent Opportunity Program (TOP).
- The fast-track TOP program aims to create job-ready hospitality professionals, offering hands-on training and guaranteed internships aligned with the Kingdom’s rapid hotel sector growth.
Dusit Thani College embarks on a major new chapter in its expansion into international markets with the commencement of its hospitality education programs in Saudi Arabia. This major step in Dusit Thani College’s expansion into one of the fastest growing tourist economies in the world comes after a tie-up with Alkhaleej Training and Education, under which Dusit Thani College is bringing its fast-track Talent Opportunity Program (TOP) to the Kingdom.
As part of this tie-up, Alkhaleej gets to become the first international licensing partner for TOP, making Saudi Arabia a major focus of Dusit’s international education expansion. With this project, Dusit Thani College will become the first non-Swiss educational institution in the hospitality industry to offer a candidate with a systematic and standards-driven, skill-centric education in hospitality in Saudi Arabia.
The initiative will be conducted solely in one of Alkhaleej’s state-of-the-art centers in Riyadh, with over three decades of expertise in education and training in the country and a total of more than 60 learning centers spread countrywide. The partnership brings in both the global knowledge in hospitality offered by Dusit and the local insight offered by Alkhaleej.
The TOP programme is set to meet the pressing need for employment-ready talent in the fast-growing hotel industry in Saudi Arabia. The course is a flexible and affordable learning pathway which will allow students to learn, network, and gain work experience in six months or less. The course consists of over 280 hours of hands-on learning, leading to two months of classroom learning, with a guaranteed internship of four months.
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The internship opportunities will be conducted in four- and five-star hotels in the Dusit portfolio of hotels, in addition to a selection of local hospitality companies. The graduates of this program will be ready for positions in key functions of the hospitality industry such as culinary arts, pastry, food service, beverages, and guest service. The approach devised targets work readiness in a much shorter time span to cope with a scale-up in hotels across the Kingdom.
Apart from the main TOP course, an array of 'TOP UP' specialized short courses have been launched, which include baristas, concierge specialists, and luxury service professionals. Additionally, a variety of B2B training programs will be provided to aid in up-skilling in sectors such as digital marketing, food and beverage cost control, management of housekeeping, online travel agency, pricing, banquet operations, and human resources.
For graduates who want to further their studies, this initiative provides an easy route to Dusit Thani College’s Bangkok campus, where they can pursue a four-year Bachelor of Business Administration course in Hospitality Management and Professional Culinary Arts. Such programs are internationally recognized and a less expensive option compared to other places where students can study hospitality programs.
Speaking during the launch event, Dr. Atthawet Prougestaporn, Rector of Dusit Thani College, stated, "This expansion is a testament to the college’s commitment to making quality education in the field of hospitality accessible to all. The need for this initiative is, in our view, more pressing than ever, with the tourism and hospitality sector in Saudi Arabia growing at an unprecedented pace".
