TikTok and INJAZ-Al Arab have joined forces to introduce groundbreaking initiatives. These initiatives aim to inspire two million Saudi youth to cultivate vital employability and entrepreneurial skills in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. They comprise a dynamic combination of virtual and in-person activities to assist high school and university students in exploring diverse career paths and ignite their entrepreneurial flair. The collaboration was officially announced at LEAP KSA on March 5, 2024.
The content of this initiative aims to highlight success stories, offer advice, and provide guidance based on the real-life experiences of entrepreneurs. It also focuses on providing insights on how to navigate the workplace successfully. Additionally, experiential learning sessions will be conducted for 6,000 high school and university students across 85 educational institutes in the country, both in-person and virtually. Moreover, TikTok employees will have the opportunity to engage with students through ‘career sessions.
The collaboration aims to establish a minimum of 50 student enterprises in universities. These enterprises will compete for the “Company of the Year Award” nationally. The winning team will then proceed to the regional competition, the “Youth Entrepreneurship Celebration” organised by INJAZ AL Arab. This event will bring together students from 13 MENA countries.
Helena Lersch, TikTok’s Vice President of Public Policy Emerging Markets and Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, has stated that “entrepreneurship and employment initiatives are crucial to realise Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, an ambitious roadmap for economic transformation. TikTok is committed to collaborating with local leaders to support initiatives that will aid in achieving this vision and serve as a platform to inspire the next generation. TikTok’s partnership with INJAZ Al Arab and INJAZ Saudi is vital to working with the local population to mobilise the economy and align with the Kingdom’s visionary leaders.”
INJAZ Al-Arab’s CEO, Akef Aqrabawi, emphasised the importance of mentorship from global and regional business leaders in inspiring entrepreneurship and business innovation among Saudi youth. He further stated that partnering with TikTok would help drive the economy of the Kingdom and the MENA region and create a lasting impact on the economic landscape and cultural attitudes towards entrepreneurial pursuits among the youth.