Ibrahim Al-Aqili, CEO ofFood Industries Polytechnic
Food Industries Polytechnic (FIP) CEO Ibrahim Al-Aqili said employment is an integral part of the institute’s training programs offered in partnership with the private sector, noting that trainees sign contracts with companies from the outset for a five-year period. 
In an interview with Argaam, Al-Aqili said the expansion of the food sector and the geographic diversity of its activities across Saudi Arabia require flexible training models capable of adapting to varying specializations and regional needs, helping qualify talent and employ them in their local areas while enhancing program efficiency and ensuring sustainable impact.
Al-Aqili reviewed the institute’s targets and operating model, alongside its programs and specializations, key achievements, and trainee selection criteria.
The interview details follow:
To start, could you provide an overview of the Food Industries Polytechnic and the programs it offers?
The FIP is a non-profit training institution established in 2009 under the umbrella of the National Center for Strategic Partnerships. It was founded through a partnership between Technical and Vocational Training Corpo. (TVTC) and Almarai Co., with support from Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf).
The institute develops specialized national talent for the food manufacturing sector through diploma programs based on an “employment-linked training” model, preparing trainees in line with companies’ workforce needs to ensure alignment between training outcomes and actual job requirements.
The model also allows companies to select trainees and participate in their preparation and qualification, enhancing workforce readiness and helping narrow the skills gap.
How does the institute support Saudi Arabia’s food security objectives and stability?
The institute’s role aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the national food security strategy through the development of qualified local talent across food industry value chains, from agricultural production to manufacturing and supply chains.
This contributes to improving operational efficiency, sustaining production, and strengthening sector readiness. Food security is no longer limited to product availability but has evolved into an integrated system extending from production to distribution.
The government plays a central role in building this system by empowering the private sector, aligning education and training with labor market needs, and linking these efforts to development strategies, helping strengthen supply stability and improve long-term sector efficiency.
What are the institute’s key programs and specializations?
The institute initially launched three core programs in food production technologies, farm technologies, and industrial and agricultural equipment maintenance, before evolving toward greater specialization.
It currently offers specializations in food safety and food quality inspection, in addition to applied fields such as bakery, juices and dairy products, and water technologies.
The institute also offers farm technology programs linked to livestock production, nutrition, and their integration with manufacturing, in addition to industrial maintenance tracks covering electrical, mechanical, and refrigeration systems, alongside programs in logistics, supply chains, sales, and retail.
Program offerings also extend to supporting disciplines such as accounting, while new programs focused on meat production are currently under development.
What is the main challenge in aligning education outcomes with labor market needs in the food sector?
Developing talent in the food manufacturing sector requires balancing academic and applied tracks, as university education focuses on building theoretical knowledge, while diploma programs enhance practical skills directly aligned with workplace requirements.
Against this backdrop, employment-linked training pathways play a key role in preparing a more job-ready workforce aligned with sector needs.
The geographic breadth and diversity of the food sector across Saudi Arabia also require flexible training models capable of adapting to varying specializations and regional needs, ensuring efficient program delivery and sustainable outcomes.
How does the institute design its training programs?
The institute adopts an apprenticeship model as a flexible framework for developing training programs, allowing continuous alignment with labor market requirements.
The model takes into account the diversity of the food manufacturing sector in terms of scale and specialization, enhancing adaptability to industry changes and supporting more efficient, industry-linked training programs.
Curricula are continuously updated through advisory committees comprising specialists and factory managers, based on feedback covering theoretical, practical, and behavioral aspects.
The model operates under a governance framework that includes representatives from both the public and private sectors, while granting the private sector a greater operational role to ensure alignment with hiring needs.
What criteria does the institute use to select trainees?
The institute determines workforce demand in each region in coordination with companies. Trainees are then recruited from the same target regions and enrolled in programs based on local employment needs.
Upon completing training, graduates are employed in the same previously identified regions, supporting job stability and the sustainability of talent in workplaces, while serving as a key benchmark for the success of training programs and localization efforts.
How many graduates has the institute produced, and how many private-sector partners does it have?
The institute’s first graduating class was in 2014, with the cumulative number of graduates exceeding 4,000, while nearly 400 trainees graduated in 2025.
The institute’s capacity ranges between 600 and 800 trainees and recently increased to around 1,300 trainees through operations across two shifts.
Private-sector partnerships range between 25 and 30 companies, with further expansion underway.
Do you target a specific number of companies?
The objective is not tied to the number of companies, but rather to the level of workforce localization that can be achieved, particularly in large companies with broader sector impact.
How do contributions from large companies differ from smaller ones?
Large companies have the capacity for long-term planning and investment in training, making their impact on localization programs more significant, while smaller companies tend to focus on short-term outcomes.
Are there indicators of the institute’s success model?
The institute measures success through two main tracks, the first of which focuses on company-level outcomes, with many firms recording notable and repeated increases in technical workforce localization rates, reflecting the effectiveness of the model in preparing national talent in line with labor market needs.
The second track relates to the development of training programs, as the institute started with three programs and gradually expanded to offer more than 15 specialized programs covering multiple areas of the food manufacturing sector.
He said this development aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly in human capital development and strengthening localization in key sectors, supporting sustainable impact and improving vocational qualification efficiency.
Is employment guaranteed after graduation?
Employment forms part of the training program from day one with trainees linked to companies through a five-year commitment contract between both parties.
The model helps ensure workforce stability among national talent, while supporting companies’ localization plans and strengthening the sustainability of ties between the institute and the private sector.
Ibrahim Al-Aqili, CEO ofFood Industries Polytechnic
Food Industries Polytechnic (FIP) CEO Ibrahim Al-Aqili said employment is an integral part of the institute’s training programs offered in partnership with the private sector, noting that trainees sign contracts with companies from the outset for a five-year period.
In an interview with Argaam, Al-Aqili said the expansion of the food sector and the geographic diversity of its activities across Saudi Arabia require flexible training models capable of adapting to varying specializations and regional needs, helping qualify talent and employ them in their local areas while enhancing program efficiency and ensuring sustainable impact.
Al-Aqili reviewed the institute’s targets and operating model, alongside its programs and specializations, key achievements, and trainee selection criteria.
The interview details follow:
To start, could you provide an overview of the Food Industries Polytechnic and the programs it offers?
The FIP is a non-profit training institution established in 2009 under the umbrella of the National Center for Strategic Partnerships. It was founded through a partnership between Technical and Vocational Training Corpo. (TVTC) and Almarai Co., with support from Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf).
The institute develops specialized national talent for the food manufacturing sector through diploma programs based on an “employment-linked training” model, preparing trainees in line with companies’ workforce needs to ensure alignment between training outcomes and actual job requirements.
The model also allows companies to select trainees and participate in their preparation and qualification, enhancing workforce readiness and helping narrow the skills gap.
How does the institute support Saudi Arabia’s food security objectives and stability?
The institute’s role aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and the national food security strategy through the development of qualified local talent across food industry value chains, from agricultural production to manufacturing and supply chains.
This contributes to improving operational efficiency, sustaining production, and strengthening sector readiness. Food security is no longer limited to product availability but has evolved into an integrated system extending from production to distribution.
The government plays a central role in building this system by empowering the private sector, aligning education and training with labor market needs, and linking these efforts to development strategies, helping strengthen supply stability and improve long-term sector efficiency.
What are the institute’s key programs and specializations?
The institute initially launched three core programs in food production technologies, farm technologies, and industrial and agricultural equipment maintenance, before evolving toward greater specialization.
It currently offers specializations in food safety and food quality inspection, in addition to applied fields such as bakery, juices and dairy products, and water technologies.
The institute also offers farm technology programs linked to livestock production, nutrition, and their integration with manufacturing, in addition to industrial maintenance tracks covering electrical, mechanical, and refrigeration systems, alongside programs in logistics, supply chains, sales, and retail.
Program offerings also extend to supporting disciplines such as accounting, while new programs focused on meat production are currently under development.
What is the main challenge in aligning education outcomes with labor market needs in the food sector?
Developing talent in the food manufacturing sector requires balancing academic and applied tracks, as university education focuses on building theoretical knowledge, while diploma programs enhance practical skills directly aligned with workplace requirements.
Against this backdrop, employment-linked training pathways play a key role in preparing a more job-ready workforce aligned with sector needs.
The geographic breadth and diversity of the food sector across Saudi Arabia also require flexible training models capable of adapting to varying specializations and regional needs, ensuring efficient program delivery and sustainable outcomes.
How does the institute design its training programs?
The institute adopts an apprenticeship model as a flexible framework for developing training programs, allowing continuous alignment with labor market requirements.
The model takes into account the diversity of the food manufacturing sector in terms of scale and specialization, enhancing adaptability to industry changes and supporting more efficient, industry-linked training programs.
Curricula are continuously updated through advisory committees comprising specialists and factory managers, based on feedback covering theoretical, practical, and behavioral aspects.
The model operates under a governance framework that includes representatives from both the public and private sectors, while granting the private sector a greater operational role to ensure alignment with hiring needs.
What criteria does the institute use to select trainees?
The institute determines workforce demand in each region in coordination with companies. Trainees are then recruited from the same target regions and enrolled in programs based on local employment needs.
Upon completing training, graduates are employed in the same previously identified regions, supporting job stability and the sustainability of talent in workplaces, while serving as a key benchmark for the success of training programs and localization efforts.
How many graduates has the institute produced, and how many private-sector partners does it have?
The institute’s first graduating class was in 2014, with the cumulative number of graduates exceeding 4,000, while nearly 400 trainees graduated in 2025.
The institute’s capacity ranges between 600 and 800 trainees and recently increased to around 1,300 trainees through operations across two shifts.
Private-sector partnerships range between 25 and 30 companies, with further expansion underway.
Do you target a specific number of companies?
The objective is not tied to the number of companies, but rather to the level of workforce localization that can be achieved, particularly in large companies with broader sector impact.
How do contributions from large companies differ from smaller ones?
Large companies have the capacity for long-term planning and investment in training, making their impact on localization programs more significant, while smaller companies tend to focus on short-term outcomes.
Are there indicators of the institute’s success model?
The institute measures success through two main tracks, the first of which focuses on company-level outcomes, with many firms recording notable and repeated increases in technical workforce localization rates, reflecting the effectiveness of the model in preparing national talent in line with labor market needs.
The second track relates to the development of training programs, as the institute started with three programs and gradually expanded to offer more than 15 specialized programs covering multiple areas of the food manufacturing sector.
He said this development aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly in human capital development and strengthening localization in key sectors, supporting sustainable impact and improving vocational qualification efficiency.
Is employment guaranteed after graduation?
Employment forms part of the training program from day one with trainees linked to companies through a five-year commitment contract between both parties.
The model helps ensure workforce stability among national talent, while supporting companies’ localization plans and strengthening the sustainability of ties between the institute and the private sector.
