ALULA: The Royal Commission for AlUla on Tuesday officially launched AlUla Academy, described as a pioneering initiative that aims to be a beacon across the region for excellence in vocational training in the tourism sector.

It will serve as a global hub, officials said, for workers directly involved in crafting memorable experiences for diverse groups of visitors to AlUla from around the globe.

Hotel.School has been chosen as the academy’s global partner for hospitality training, and the collaboration will begin with an inaugural digital training program for the first group of students in early July. Subsequent programs will be available through the academy’s website.

Authorities in the Kingdom are carefully developing historic AlUla, an ancient oasis in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula, as a global tourist destination distinguished by its 7,000-year-plus history, spanning several civilizations.

It encompasses four primary heritage sites and a wide selection of visitor experiences which, the Royal Commission said, offer tourists the chance to immerse themselves in the region’s rich heritage and culture, take advantage of its wellness offerings, bask in the beauty of nature, indulge in the arts, and embark on and voyage of discovery.

The establishment of the academy therefore stands as a pioneering endeavor within the field of tourism, it added, and a cornerstone of efforts to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 development and diversification plan, one of the aims of which is to create 1.3 million jobs for Saudi citizens.

Philip Jones, the Royal Commission for AlUla’s chief tourism officer, said: “Learning centers such as AlUla Academy play a pivotal role in creating job opportunities while upholding excellence in visitor experiences to international standards, all while maintaining an authentic Saudi essence.

“Both physically and digitally, AlUla Academy will expedite the training process, enhancing the quality and efficiency of professional skill development, thereby advancing the tourism sector’s goals in the Kingdom.”

The guests at the launch ceremony on Tuesday included Anita Mendiratta, special advisor to the UN secretary-general at the UN World Tourism Organization. Also a member of the Royal Commission’s advisory board between 2017 and 2023, and one of the key figures behind the development of the academy, she emphasized the organization’s steadfast commitment and dedication to the enhancement of visitor experiences through the development of local skills.

“The key to AlUla’s development lies in embracing authenticity and prioritizing community engagement,” Mendiratta said.

“The Royal Commission for AlUla understands that reaching tangible milestones necessitates investing in skill development, providing services with international standards, yet infusing them with the distinct essence of AlUla that echoes its environment, the culture of its people, and their profound history.”

Hotel.School was carefully chosen as a global partner for AlUla Academy, the commission said, following a rigorous selection process to identify the most suitable collaborator to bolster its endeavors and help achieve its objectives. To that end, it will offer intelligent educational solutions and collaborate with developers of cutting-edge technologies to provide a diverse array of online-learning experiences, officials said. Further information about courses, registration procedures and criteria for the selection of students will be available soon.

Adnan Sawadi, the acting director of Hotel.School, said the institution is committed to supporting the commission in its mission to achieve excellence in vocational training across AlUla, the Kingdom and the wider region.

“At Hotel.School, we recognize that the vitality of the hospitality sector is its people, and we take pride in our pivotal role in nurturing and developing the skills essential to fortifying AlUla’s position as a global tourism and hospitality hub,” he said.

“Our commitment extends to fostering an educational environment that resonates with the region’s rich heritage, amplifying its cultural significance on the global stage.”

AlUla has received significant acclaim and been described as a beacon of success in the field of tourism development and the enhancement of local skills, the commission said. It attracted 263,000 visitors in 2023 alone and consistently surpasses the targets set for it, officials said, increasingly bringing it to the attention of leading event organizers, investors, development partners, airlines and the international media.

RIYADH: Confidence comes from competence, and competence comes from experience, Martin Camp told a panel discussion at the International Conference on Judicial Training held in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The mantra is central to Camp’s teaching approach as a professor of practice and assistant dean for graduate and international programs at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas, where he teaches property and business law.

In the conference’s sixth session, titled “Understanding Culture and Social Context in Judicial and Legal Training,” Camp, with other legal experts, discussed the significance of incorporating cultural awareness into the judicial system.

The panel included Rodrigo Alves, professor of law at the Federal University of Uberlandia, Mark Sweet, a partner at the Finnegan law firm, Jamal Haroun, secretary-general of the permanent secretariat of the Euro-Arab Judicial Training Network, and Henry Gao, professor of law at Singapore Management University.

Camp said that despite each nation’s cultural identity, we all, as a collective society, desire the same things.

“Then I realized that under this veneer difference, we are the same. People want the same things. They want work, family, security, peace, everything they want depends on the rule of law.

“It does not matter what label we put on what systems people choose or what is chosen for them, in the final analysis, whatever system, people still want justice. They want the general application of the principle of rule of law and those are the rules that people are expected to follow.”

To have a flowing judicial system, training needs to be a regular part of the life of the judiciary and sometimes specialization is preferred to provide competence, Camp said.

“The role of the judiciary is ensuring that the rule of law, that the courts, are preachers of our constitution and our legislature … by understanding the law, practicing the law, and having the confidence that comes from that,” Camp added.

Fabricio Da Cruz, a federal judge in Brazil, told Arab News that he is attending the conference because he is fascinated by its theme, which explores the future of judicial training.

“Everybody here has something to tell and something to teach, but there is a lot to learn ... sharing knowledge is the main benefit from a conference like this.”

With 20 years of legal experience, Da Cruz has served as a professor of social sciences and law for undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. students.

“I give this advice to my students and children: stay hungry for knowledge and focus on developing (your) skills ... knowledge and skills, together, make a huge difference in the future for the person, community, and country.”

The conference, which began on May 6, focused on the many aspects of judicial and legal training. Gathering law professionals from more than 40 countries, it explored how modern technologies and artificial intelligence can be integrated to enhance judicial and legal training methodologies.

Workshops and panel discussions covered challenges in developing training content during digital transformation, the impact of cultural and social contexts on the judicial training process, and key methodologies for evaluating training outcomes.