Building on its accomplishment in 2018, Jadarah, the intensive 5-month talent accelerator programme established by Seera Group, has declared the new 24 candidates who will take part in the second edition of the programme commencing September 2019. Jadarah candidates are offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to kick-start their careers under the leadership of brilliant minds from the regional and global digital industry.

The 2019 edition got more than 2,500 applications from Arab nationalities including Saudis, Emiratis, Egyptians, Jordanians, Syrians, Palestinians, Sudanese, Yemenis, Omanis, Lebanese, Tunisians, Moroccans, Kuwaitis, Iraqis, Bahrainis and Comorians. The programme additionally attracted astounding female candidates, who represented for 48% of the applications, a significant increase versus 2018.

Jadarah 2019 candidates come from eminent global universities, such as Hult International Business School, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Indiana UniversityPurdue University Indianapolis, as well as prestigious universities within the region such as the American Universities of Sharjah, Dubai and Cairo, Abu Dhabi University, King Saud University and the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. 55% of the selected candidates are from Saudi Arabia, while the other Arab nationalities including Egyptians, Jordanians, Syrians, Palestinians, Sudanese, Moroccans and Iraqis make up the remainder. This makes Jadarah a genuinely regional programme encouraging cultural connections and opportunities.

The declaration pursues the accomplishment of the inaugural year of the programme which saw 90% of the candidates securing jobs in leading organisations including McKinsey & Company, noon, Foodex Saudi, Riyadh Airports Company and Seera Group. 40% of 2018 graduates were females as Jadarah continues to empower young women to step into the technology sector.

Curated 100% locally in the region, Jadarah offers a unique combination of training, mentorship and on-the-job experience to differentiate the abilities and quicken the growth of the Arab youth, in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030. The programme incorporates strategic partnerships with digital industry giants including Google, Twitter, Microsoft, AWS and Udacity to give the candidates insight into some of the worlds most perceived and successful businesses.

Abdulaziz Aldawood, Head of Jadarah, stated: Some of the main difficulties faced by the Arab youth today is the absence of awareness on how to kick-off their career path, limited on-job training and low exposure to networking opportunities. With Jadarah, the shortlisted applicants get a chance to make their own experiences, explore their potential, and change the course of their future. As the region focuses on digital transformation, global and regional players need high calibre professionals to join their businesses. Through Jadarah, we are helping to strengthen the regional talent pool, assisting in the development of valued skills, and providing fast-track access to opportunities in the digital space.

Sharing her experience, a former candidate of Jadarah and now a senior branding officer at Seera Group, Dina Ayoub, stated: When I graduated from my university, I found myself at a cross-road of choosing between an internship and a full-time job. It is rare to locate a credible graduate programme in the region that offers a healthy mix of learning and on-the-job training. At university, students can reach out to teachers for support and in the working industry, professionals can reach out to fellow colleagues and senior management for guidance. However, right after you graduate there is a grey area that leaves fresh graduates like me struggling due to the lack of mentorship. Jadarah was the perfect platform to nurture my skill set before venturing into the real world.

Jadarah empowers candidates to exhibit their strengths and potential. Top candidates who cleared the online test were invited for a one-day assessment centre in Dubai or Riyadh which included presentations, concentrated group exercises and interviews with experts from the company. Following a stringent assessment, 24 successful candidates have now been chosen and welcome to join the programme in September in Dubai.

Visit www.jadarah.com for more details on the programme.