News

Oxford AMP to Run in Saudi Arabia

11 March 2008

also read more on this story at the Exec-Ed Zone blog.

The Oxford Advanced Management Programme has been commissioned by a leading development company based in Saudi Arabia, Rakisa Holding, to deliver the programme to a group of both public and private sector executives in the country. This is the first programme that the School has run in the Kingdom.

The Oxford Advanced Management Programme (AMP) is a flagship executive programme of the Business School. Since its inception in 1983, it has attracted more than 1100 senior executives from over 80 countries worldwide. Board members, executives from private and public enterprises, government agencies, social organisations and business owners have been among those to have undertaken the prestigious programme.

Dr Lalit Johri, Programme Director of the AMP, said: ‘We are very excited to launch our first executive education programme in Saudi Arabia. We believe that educating talented executives around the world will not only benefit their respective countries, but will also benefit the global economy. We see great potential in the Kingdom and it will be a tremendous experience for all of us who are taking part in developing its people’s talents and capabilities.’

The Oxford AMP for senior executives and civil services officers in Saudi Arabia will comprise two modules of ten days each to be held in Oxford, UK and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia respectively. The modules will address ‘Global Insights and Organizational Challenges’ and ‘You as a Leader and Your Contribution to Your Nation’s Competitiveness’. The programme will be led and facilitated by experienced international faculty from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford and will be based upon the University’s well-known tutorial tradition, in which individuals receive personal coaching from their tutors.

The Oxford AMP provides a compelling forum to share views on how external and internal pressures affect executives and their organisations. In an intellectually stimulating environment, participants will reflect on their executive experiences and explore ways to design and implement innovative strategies. The AMP will be customized by the faculty to focus on issues and challenges faced by Saudi participants and their organizations. In March 2008, a faculty team from Saïd Business School’s Executive Education Centre will visit companies in Saudi Arabia to conduct case research and prepare case studies which will be discussed in the Programme.

Whilst in Oxford, the Programme the participants will have opportunities to interact with experts from the broader University of Oxford, including the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, and with representatives from other research Centres of Saïd Business School, engaged in research relevant to the region.

An agreement to run the Programme has been signed in Saudi Arabia by Abdullah Al Rakhis, Chairman of Rakisa Economic City and Gay Haskins, Dean of Executive Education at Saïd Business School.

In line with its efforts to bolster economic growth, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority ( SAGIA), is supporting Rakisa’s investment in the programme and in the development of Saudi executives.

His Excellency Amr Dabbagh, Governor of SAGIA, commented: ‘We are supporting Rakisa and Oxford in this programme because we all share a vision of long term collaboration to enhance competitiveness in Saudi Arabia. This programme can instill some of the methods, values and implementation strategies that our business people can use to help take our economy and society to the next level.’

Rakisa will offer over 35 full scholarships to attend the programme to Saudi civil service officers and CEOs of public and private sector companies to create a more competitive and efficient workforce.

Engineer Abdullah Al Rakhis, who attended the signing ceremony, said: ‘The Oxford programme will give our businessmen an educational experience that will allow them to push our country’s economy both nationally and internationally into a brighter and more successful future, and Rakisa is proud to be part of such an important endeavour.’