RIYADH: In line with Vision 2030, Red Sea Global is making significant strides in training and upskilling young Saudis to tap into the opportunities this initiative presents.   

During the Real Estate Future Forum held in Riyadh, RSG’s CEO John Pagano emphasized the company’s commitment to developing local talent as a cornerstone of their contribution to the national vision.  

“We are spending an enormous amount of effort on training and upskilling young Saudis to benefit from the opportunities that Vision 2030 is creating,” he said.   

This focus extends beyond higher education, targeting jobs across the spectrum in the tourism sector.  

A significant effort in this direction is RSG’s vocational program, conducted in partnership with the Human Resources Development Fund.   

The program has already yielded results. “We graduated our first 480 students in the summer, and all 480 found jobs at Red Sea Global,” Pagano shared.   

These graduates have been employed across various hospitality partners, including airport services, engineering, and renewable energy sectors.  

Highlighting the company’s broader employment goals the CEO stated: “Ultimately, between Red Sea and AMAALA alone, we are going to create 120,000 jobs, 60,000 direct and 60,000 indirect.”   

Moreover, the company also runs an elite graduate training program which saw 70 graduates chosen from 60,000 applications.   

Pagano further stressed the importance of nurturing young talent as he foresees that one of these individuals will eventually lead the business forward.  

In addition to its human resource initiatives, RSG is also committed to sustainable development.   

The CEO mentioned that the company has taken the approach of developing 22 out of 90 islands, leaving 75 percent untouched, and limiting visitor numbers to maintain ecological balance.   

“This is all part of respecting our ecological ceiling and not stressing this valuable environment so that future generations can enjoy,” he explained.   

This approach aligns with the company’s goal to enhance the net conservation value of its destinations by 30 percent in the next decade, demonstrating a commitment to regenerative tourism.  

Pagano stated that the company’s sustainability efforts have been evident as it built the biggest tourism destination powered by renewable energy.  

“We have installed 760,000 solar panels to power the destination. We are completely off gird, meaning we do not connect to the national grid, and we have the largest battery storage system in the world to date,” the CEO added.