Developing the next generation of leaders in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is currently undergoing one of the world’s most ambitious national transformations. Under Vision 2030, the Kingdom is advancing a new generation of large‑scale industrial, energy and infrastructure projects that are reshaping its economic landscape and accelerating its transition to a diversified, knowledge‑driven economy.

This unprecedented growth is redefining what the energy and materials sectors need from their workforces. Technical capability remains essential, but the scale, pace and integration of Vision 2030 projects now require talent with a global perspective, agility and the ability to lead through continuous change.

Major gas processing expansions, emerging low‑carbon energy hubs and newly integrated industrial cities illustrate this shift. These projects demand leaders who can operate confidently in complex environments, collaborate across disciplines and apply international standards to deliver outcomes that match the Kingdom’s ambition.

At Wood, we see talent as a long‑term investment in the success of Vision 2030. Building the capability to deliver these landmark programmes means developing people who can lead in dynamic environments, embrace innovation and bring fresh thinking to some of the most significant projects underway anywhere in the world.

A talent strategy aligned with national priorities

At Wood, our development approach is built around one clear priority: strengthening Saudi capability in direct support of Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s national objective to build a highly skilled, competitive and future‑ready local workforce. Our strategy aligns with key national priorities, including the Human Capability Development Program, the drive to increase Saudi leadership representation, and operators’ In‑Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) requirements. Each of these initiatives emphasises deeper local expertise, stronger technical ownership and long‑term career pathways for Saudi professionals.

We focus on practical, experience-led development that accelerates capability where it matters most: on live project delivery. This aligns with the national priority of equipping Saudi talent with real-world, industry-relevant skills that drive economic diversification. Through hands-on work on complex engineering scopes, collaboration with global centres of excellence, and day‑to‑day problem-solving on integrated programmes, our people gain the depth, confidence and technical strength required to support the Kingdom’s most ambitious energy and industrial projects.

Recognising the evolving expectations of both clients and national programmes, Wood’s KSA office has unified Talent Acquisition and Talent Development into a single function. This deliberate shift creates a coherent, end‑to‑end talent lifecycle that reinforces nationalisation objectives by ensuring that how we attract, develop and retain Saudi professionals is fully aligned with their long‑term growth and with the Kingdom’s objective to build sustainable, In‑Kingdom technical leadership.

Our award-winning Graduate Development Program is a cornerstone of this strategy. Designed to support Vision 2030’s aim of nurturing the next generation of Saudi engineers, the two‑year programme accelerates early-career development by combining formal learning with rotational assignments across engineering and project management disciplines. By integrating classroom training with real project exposure, the programme equips Saudi graduates with international-standard technical and behavioural skills, directly supporting national goals to increase Saudi participation and seniority within critical industrial sectors.

Delivering in-kingdom value to support KSA’s future

Over the past two years, we have seen a clear uplift in Saudi capability across our organisation. The results reflect meaningful progress in the areas that matter most to our clients: nationalisation, technical depth and In-Kingdom delivery strength.

Between 2023 and 2025, our project delivery headcount tripled, with Saudi professionals increasing by nearly 300%. Importantly, this growth has been driven by rising seniority, demonstrating that nationalisation is embedded across technical and leadership levels, not limited to entry‑level hiring. Many professionals now lead key aspects of engineering, project management, project controls, quality and supply chain, providing the stability, knowledge depth and succession strength essential for long‑term project continuity.

As part of this journey, Wood has expanded its contribution to the General Engineering Services Plus (GES+) programme, an initiative led by Saudi Aramco to grow national engineering capability and create longterm development pathways for Saudi talent. Our GES+ team has grown rapidly, adding more than 200 Saudi professionals in two years and building a much stronger base of experienced and senior Saudi engineers. This expansion means more of the technical decisions and daytoday engineering work are now being led from within the Kingdom, strengthening local expertise and reducing reliance on teams based outside the country.

This capability uplift has directly strengthened our ability to meet the Kingdom’s expectations for In-Kingdom content (IKC). Today, our technical teams deliver the majority of early engineering and detailed design phase work for major projects locally, with a clear pathway for further increasing Saudi technical ownership across all project stages.

Building the workforce behind Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030

The progress we’ve made shows a clear shift. Saudi talent at Wood is now leading more work, making more decisions and strengthening In-Kingdom delivery at every level. This growth reflects not just capacity, but capability. The emergence of a confident, technically strong Saudi workforce aligned with the Kingdom’s ambitions.

As Vision 2030 accelerates, our focus remains the same: investing in Saudi professionals, expanding national technical ownership and building a leadership pipeline that will sustain the Kingdom’s industrial future. By empowering local talent and deepening national expertise, we are helping shape a resilient, future‑ready workforce that will lead KSA’s most significant projects for years to come.

Wood KSA corporate social initiatives

As part of our ongoing social initiatives, we proudly welcomed students from various educational levels, including high school and university. During these visits, students had the opportunity to explore a wide range of engineering disciplines presented by our graduate engineers. These initiatives aim to foster a positive and broader understanding of engineering disciplines by engaging students to inspire interest in engineering careers, provide valuable guidance, and help them gain a better understanding of potential career paths and make informed choices for their future. As part of these efforts, our main goal is to build a stronger relationship between our office and universities. Our experienced engineers participated in various sessions held at the university to share their expertise, lead workshops, and work closely with students and faculty to inspire the next generation of engineers.

This article was originally published in Oil & Gas Middle East on 19th June 2026.