SAP and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) are collaborating to develop Omani digital talent by connecting PDO’s Digital Innovation Programme with the SAP Young Professionals programme (YPP), creating a pathway for emerging professionals to pursue careers in technology consulting.

Participants from PDO’s Digital Innovation Programme are expected to join the next SAP YPP cohort, scheduled to begin in November, with continued training in enterprise technology and artificial intelligence.

The collaboration was highlighted at PDO’s Digital Innovation Programme graduation ceremony in Muscat, where SAP YPP participants also completed their training.

“Building local digital skills is important both for the young people entering the workforce and for organizations that need access to qualified technology professionals,” said Waheed Al Hamaid, Head of Enterprise Solutions at PDO. “Our work with SAP gives Omani talent the opportunity to develop practical skills that reflect the needs of the market. Connecting our Digital Innovation Programme with the SAP Young Professionals programme gives participants another avenue to develop their expertise and pursue careers in the technology sector.”

Delivered by the Digital Skills Centre, SAP YPP provides recent graduates with training and certifications to launch careers as SAP consultants across the company’s partner and customer ecosystem.

In Oman, the latest graduates earned certifications in SAP Generative AI development and implementing end-to-end business processes for SAP Business Suite.

Their training included practical work with SAP Generative AI Hub and SAP AI Launchpad, covering areas such as prompt engineering, template management and workflow orchestration.

As businesses increasingly integrate AI into their operations, demand is growing for professionals who understand both enterprise applications and the practical application of AI within them.

“AI is changing the skills expected of technology consultants, and this needs to be reflected in how we prepare people entering the profession,” said Alp Geckalan, Head of Digital Skills Center at SAP. “They need a strong understanding of enterprise processes as well as the ability to work with new AI tools. Working with PDO allows us to bring these areas together and give Omani graduates skills they can take into the workplace.”

PDO’s Digital Innovation Programme supports Omani talent through training, practical challenges and engagement with technology companies.

Its inaugural eight-week cohort concluded on September 22 after delivering more than 5,000 training hours through over 40 trainers, with SAP among the participating technology companies and institutions.

The next SAP YPP cohort for Oman and other countries in SAP’s Fast Growth Markets cluster is due to start in mid-November and run for two months, providing selected graduates with specialised training, certifications and access to career opportunities within SAP’s customer and partner ecosystem. -TradeArabia News Service