TCS opens all-women back office in Saudi Arabia

Indian IT bellwether TCS Sunday opened the first all-women back office centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in partnership with GE and Saudi Aramco.

The 3,200-square metre business process centre will offer jobs for 3,000 Saudi women for customers like oil major Saudi Aramco and the US-based General Electric (GE) in the desert kingdom over the next three years.

"The back office, which is supported by the Saudi government's human resources development fund programme, strengthens job creation and economic diversification," the global software major said in a statement here.

The centre will provide specialised finance and accounting, human resources, materials supply and office services to improve operational efficiency.

"Skills, talent and technology converge at the centre, marking a new era for the IT and business process services industry in the kingdom," Tata Consulting Services (TCS) CEO and managing director N. Chandrasekaran said on the occasion.

Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah, Saudi Arabian general investment authority deputy governor Prince Saud bin Khalid, Saudi Aramco chief executive Khalid Al Falih and GE vice-chairman John Rice were present at the centre's inaugural event.

"The centre brings significant value to our economy and helps address the challenge of creating jobs for talented and skilled Saudi female graduates, establishes a diverse workforce and boosts our competitiveness," Al Falih said.

With TCS's domain expertise in providing shared services the world over, including its customers in the kingdom, the centre will focus on its core competencies.

"We thank our partners Saudi Aramco and GE and look forward to their support to scale up operations at the centre," Chandrasekaran noted.

Both partners have hired 100 women each and transferred their back office services to the centre.

"The centre is a proof of our commitment to support the kingdom in human capital development and job creation for its women," Rice said.

In the first phase, about 300 women employees were given intensive training in various disciplines. Of them, 90 percent are fresh graduates and the remaining have two-to-four years of experience in back office operations.

They were chosen from King Saud University, Princess Noura University and Imam University from 1,200 candidates interviewed for the jobs.

"The recruits were trained in communications, presentation skills, corporate etiquette, global culture and MS Excel skills to ensure highest levels of service efficiency," the statement added.