The agreement was signed by Eng. Ali bin Abdullah Milaat, ‎CEO of Saudi Aerospace Engineering Industries Company, and ‎Mr. Hisham bin Abdul Rahman Lingawi, Director of HRDF in ‎Makkah province.‎ In a statement on the occasion, Eng. Milaat said Saudi Arabian ‎Airlines has been playing a remarkable role in the training and ‎employment of Saudis since 1964, when it sent 30 Saudis to the ‎United States for training on the maintenance of aircraft engines ‎and studying aeronautics. He said the total number of Saudi ‎employees sent by Saudi Airlines for higher studies and training ‎reached more than 5,000," he said.‎ In a similar statement, Mr. Lingawi commended Saudi Arabian ‎Airlines and Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries Company ‎for their efforts to train and employ Saudis in the aviation sector, ‎adding that it would contribute to Saudization of jobs in the vital ‎sector.‎ Under the agreement with HRDF, the Aircraft Maintenance ‎Training Institute, an affiliate of Prince Sultan Academy, will ‎train 100 Saudis from November 2010 to December 2011 at the ‎rate of 25 trainees every three months. ‎ It is the first institute in the Kingdom to be licensed by the ‎General Authority of Civil Aviation and has the capacity to train ‎‎200 trainees every year. It is equipped with advanced training ‎facilities and manned by highly qualified trainers.‎ The institute has eight classrooms and each can accommodate ‎‎25 students. Apart from aircraft hangars, it has workshops for ‎engines, engine parts, electronic aircraft equipment, aircraft ‎structure, audio visual systems and painting.‎