The automobile sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is growing with a fast pace and requires constant update of technology and skills, both in terms of technical know-how as well as practical competency. Despite the growing number of Saudi youth graduating from Saudi universities, institutes and schools, the private sector particularly, the automobile sector has a shortage of skilled and competent Saudi expertise, which does not meet the current sophisticated needs of the automobile industry.
Tapping of this unexplored pool became a reality when JADIK members contacted JAMA suggesting the idea of establishing an institute or academy to develop the skills of the Saudi youth in the domains of automobile technology and maintenance. This was in line with the idea of building a bridge between the industry and graduates by providing them with job-oriented technical training and work experience that directly corresponds to its requirements. Thus the industry will be able to fit the trained graduates directly into its job requirements. This would be a practical and realistic step towards the real Saudization.
During the visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud to Japan in October 1998, when he was the Crown Prince, delegates of both governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding which urged the creation of a task force in each country for the establishment of such an institute.
With the establishment of SJAHI, the automobile sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is looking forward to recruit these young men who will be well armed with high skills, confidence and practical training.
As an encouragement to this project, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud endowed a plot of land, on which SJAHI is built, with a total area of more than 70,000 sq. meters from the National Guard territory in Jeddah