Vatel achieves official recognition in Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has officially recognised Vatel Hospitality & Tourism Business School in Bahrain as one of the recommended higher education providers for Saudi students to enrol in. The college’s bachelor’s and postgraduate programmes have been listed among the qualifications offered to students.

In response to this recognition, Shaikh Khaled bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the General Director of Vatel Bahrain, expressed his pride in the college’s inclusion in the list of recognised universities in Saudi Arabia. He emphasised the institution’s commitment to academic and professional development, providing students with essential training and practical skills that meet the demands of the labour market and employers in the region.

Shaikh Khaled extended his gratitude to the Higher Education Council, led by H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak Jumaa, and the General Secretariat of the Higher Education Council, led by H.E. Dr. Diana AbdulKarim Al Jahrami, for their significant role in supporting Vatel Bahrain to achieve its goals. He also thanked H.E. the Minister of Tourism and the CEO of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority for their contributions to the college’s growth and prosperity. Furthermore, he acknowledged the cooperation and efforts of all involved in the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia, as well as His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Bahrain.

Shaikh Khaled highlighted that the recognition of Vatel in Saudi Arabia strengthens the joint cooperation agreement in the field of tourism between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, particularly concerning training and developing human resources. The college aims to attract more students and enhance their academic and practical skills in tourism, hospitality, and hotel management.

Moreover, Shaikh Khaled emphasised that this recognition marks an important milestone in achieving Vatel Bahrain’s goals of establishing Bahrain as a hub for hospitality and tourism education and training in the Middle East and turning it into a most distinguished campus in the Vatel network worldwide. He emphasised that this inclusion supports national efforts to establish higher education institutions in Bahrain as a regional destination for higher education, as well as promoting educational tourism in the country especially that Vatel offers unique programmes in international hotel management combine theoretical learning with practical application.

Shaikh Khaled underscored that Vatel Bahrain serves as the educational and training arm of the tourism sector in Bahrain, contributing significantly to the country’s tourism strategy for 2022-2026. It creates quality job opportunities for citizens, attracts investments in the tourism sector, and plays a fundamental role in the development of the tourism and hospitality sector, thereby diversifying sources of income and benefiting the national economy.

The Vatel Group is the 1st Worldwide Business School Group in Hospitality and Tourism Management since its establishment in 1981, the college has more than 9,000 students, 55 campuses, and more than 42,000 alumni worldwide, the college operates under the umbrella of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority since its establishment in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2018.