The Qimam Fellowship has officially launched its fifth edition and has opened applications for Saudi Arabia’s university students to join the 2022 program.
The top-ranking leadership development program aims to nurture the Kingdom’s young talent.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
There were a record number of applications last year, with over 19,000 students applying to the program, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qimam fellows benefitted from world-class mentorship from leading experts in various fields while virtually networking with their peers and high-ranking officials. The program allowed them to keep pace with global developments in the labor market and ensured they were maximising their education and career potential.
“Every person experiences unforgettable moments in their lives, and one of the most prominent moments for me was the Qimam Fellowship program. Qimam was exceptional in all its details. That is why Qimam was and continues to be superior to other programs at the regional level,” Abdulaziz Alogyel, class of 2021, said.
Another student from class of 20201 said the program was not what he originally thought it would be.
“Before joining Qimam, I thought the program would be a chance for me to gain knowledge and create relationships that come to an end at the close of the program,” Ahmad Alhesyani said. “However, I soon realized its wide scope and the bridges it builds across diverse backgrounds, creating relationships with strong bonds, and offering endless opportunities that continue to accompany me in every moment and everywhere I go.”
The Qimam Fellowship program was founded by McKinsey & Company and Dr. Annas Abedin, a McKinsey alumnus and an entrepreneur, to tap into Saudi Arabia's promising young talent to help contribute to the Kingdom's transformation.
Qimam was initially launched to discover, train, and prepare the students in the country with the right set of skills required to navigate today’s multifaceted and ever-changing world. Fellows are selected based on their academic performance, their level of initiative-taking outside of the classroom and their ideas and efforts in the field of social responsibility.
The program has seen strong growth since its establishment in 2018, starting with 13,000 applicants in the first year and growing to over 65,000 applications to date, with more than half of the students who participated in the program being women.
Students with a wide range of academic interests and experience apply from all over Saudi Arabia with an aim to further their careers.
Through the program, fellows benefit from one-on-one mentorship from senior public and private sector leaders, leadership training by industry experts and professionals, and visits to the Saudi Arabian headquarters of top national and international companies. Those selected for the program can also take advantage of an exclusive membership in the Qimam Alumni Network and receive an award for completing the program in a widely attended and high-profile ceremony.
All students in the Kingdom currently pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree, as well as Saudi nationals studying abroad, are eligible to apply by February 26, 2022. Following a stringent selection process, 50 participants will be notified of their acceptance by April 7 to join the two-week intensive program, which will run from June 21 to July 2, 2022.
For 2022, Qimam has partnered with 40 local and international companies that share Qimam’s vision to empower Saudi Arabia’s promising university graduates and future leaders, including Al Arabiya news channel, BWM, Careem, Cisco and others.
