What skills do you need to contribute to Saudi Arabia's transformation?

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a period of huge investment in the coming years. This is primarily down to several major projects surrounding a new city located in the Tabuk Province in the northwestern part of the country. An ambitious project that is combining several regions, each of which focuses on delivering key objectives ranging from better living standards and tourism to world-leading business facilities. The first phase of this project is reported to have received investments of $319 billion.

It is clear that the upcoming mega projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) need highly skilled and motivated professionals to help them achieve ambitious goals. This makes it a fantastic place to start or progress your career, offering you opportunities to challenge yourself and learn new skills. In this article, we explore some of the top skills that are sought after for supporting Saudi Arabia's transformation.

Critical thinking and problem-solving

There is no denying that the current and proposed projects being undertaken in KSA are vastly ambitious. Not just in terms of scale, but also in their approach. For example, The Line, a revolutionary new living area, aims to have a zero-car policy, zero-pollution transportation, and zero wait time - making it a global leader in sustainability.

But with ambition comes challenges. This is why critical thinking and problem-solving are two of the most sought-after skills in the Saudi Arabia job market. Those who can demonstrate taking new and innovative approaches to challenges will be regarded as highly valuable, helping them propel their career to new heights. 

Initiative and enterprise

Although those looking to develop a career in Saudi Arabia will certainly need job specific skills, knowledge and qualifications. They will also need the ability to take initiative and apply enterprise to new and exciting situations.

The major projects currently being executed in the area need professionals that can come up with new ideas, identify new opportunities and take the initiative to get out there and act on them. Demonstrating these skills will help you build employability in project and team management roles.

Teamwork and collaboration

Major projects such as those proposed in Saudi Arabia can only be achieved by professionals working in collaboration. A vast number of skills and a huge amount of effort will be required in order to achieve the ambitious objectives laid out in these plans. This is why teamwork and collaboration skills are so sought after in this area.

Those who are able to build strong relationships with all stakeholders based on core values and principles will be a valuable asset to project teams. Collaborative-focused individuals will also be able to develop skills through learning from others and gaining a deeper understanding of best practices. Leadership and interpersonal skills

Leadership skills are highly valued in practically any career and any industry. This is especially true in the construction space, where ambitious teams find themselves aiming to meet demanding deadlines and turn innovative new ideas into reality. Those with strong leadership and interpersonal abilities will be an asset to these types of teams, helping guide progress and give direction. Junior members will benefit from working in teams with strong leaders, providing them with the guidance they need to develop the right skills and positively contribute to projects.

Attention to detail

With four major regions, each with its own challenges and objective, working on mega projects requires professionals to be both hyper-focused on their area of expertise whilst understanding how their contribution will impact the wider picture.

Great attention to detail will help professionals to support their close team members as well as those from across the wider project. Not only is this seen as an attractive skill, but it will also help you develop a strong network and positive influence.

Contribute to Saudi Arabia's transformation at AtkinsRéalis

If you have some or all of the skills we have listed above, you could be the perfect fit for an exciting and lucrative career in Saudi Arabia. There are countless opportunities for ambitious people who want to develop their skills within a new role, and mega projects across Saudi Arabia offer ample opportunity to do this.

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