News

As part of the TOURISE 2025 Forum programs held in the capital, Riyadh, under the generous patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, King Khalid University, under the supervision of His Royal Highness Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Asir Region and Chairman of the Asir Development Authority, signed two strategic agreements aimed at supporting tourism development and enhancing the sustainability of human and community resources in the region.

The agreements were recently signed in the presence of the Vice President for Educational Affairs, Prof. Saad bin Mohammed bin Dajam. The University was represented at the signing by Dr. Reham Mahmoud Mashat, Dean of the College of Tourism and Hospitality, while Valor Hospitality Partners Gulf Limited was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tapan Piplani, and InterContinental Hotels Group was represented by its General Manager, Mr. Maher Abu Nasr. The agreements reflect the University's role as a key partner in the ecosystem of regional and sustainable tourism development.

The cooperation agreement with Valor includes the implementation of specialized programs to qualify human resources in the tourism and hospitality sectors. These programs include practical training for University students at the company's hotels, the organization of professional workshops and lectures, and the implementation of joint applied research on innovation in hospitality and tourism. The agreement also includes employment programs and the exchange of field expertise to help develop students' skills and enhance their readiness for the labor market.

The Memorandum of Understanding signed with InterContinental Hotels Group aims to strengthen academic and professional cooperation between the two parties by providing practical and summer training opportunities for students of the College of Tourism and Hospitality at the Group's properties, organizing workshops and lectures delivered by the Group's experts on the latest trends in the hospitality industry, and implementing joint research projects aimed at enhancing the quality of hotel services and improving the guest experience. It also includes direct employment programs, field visits, and specialized training programs leading to jointly accredited certificates in hotel management, tourism marketing, and customer service.

Dr. Reham Mahmoud Mashat, Dean of the College of Tourism and Hospitality, emphasized that these strategic partnerships reflect the University's commitment to building strategic relationships with leading organizations in the tourism and hospitality sectors locally and internationally. She noted that through these agreements, the College seeks to equip its students with practical experience and professional skills aligned with labor market needs and supportive of tourism development in the Asir Region.

She added that this step forms part of the Asir Region's and the University's strategy to expand institutional partnerships with leading organizations locally and internationally and to transform academic knowledge into development projects that enrich the community and support the region's economy, in light of the rapid growth in tourism and development activities taking place in the region under the Asir Region Strategy, "Qimam and Shem."