AI-Powered Recruitment and Certified Training for Line-Level Hospitality Roles in Saudi Arabia: Preparing for the 2034 FIFA World Cup

Abstract

The 2034 FIFA World Cup is an opportunity that Saudi Arabia is getting to transform the nation internationally by displaying its hospitality industry. At the core of this mega-event success lays the willingness of the line level hospitality employees as their performance will have a direct influence on the visitor experiences, service delivery, and destination image. This paper delves into examining the ways Saudi Arabia can strategically equip its hospitality workforce to host the 2034 FIFA world cup, specifically the workforce preparedness, training strategies and artificial intelligence (AI) uses in the recruitment and employee development processes. Through a constructivist research philosophy, a qualitative research methodology has been used, which involves face-to-face and semi-structured interviews with five hospitality professionals, with an equal number of operational and strategic experience in the Saudi hospitality industry. The study is future-oriented and does not emphasize on the immediate needs of the working environment as they arise but on the long-term workforce preparation. The thematic analysis was used in the analysis of the data, which made it possible to identify key patterns and insights in accordance with the objectives of the research systematically. The results have shown that workforce readiness is a multidimensional construct that goes beyond technical capacities to include psychological resilience, cultural intelligence, service flexibility and efficient frontline leadership. The use of scenario-based and certified training programmes was known to be the key factors toward reliable quality of service provision in the circumstances of high pressure and high visibility. The AI- related recruitment and training systems were discovered to increase efficiency, workforce planning, and skills development but their functionality requires to be accomplished with an ethical approach and balance with human judgement. The research paper concludes that phased and strategic workforce planning at an early stage is the key to operational success during the 2034 FIFA world cup as well as the legacy creation of the Saudi Arabia hospitality industry. Indeed, by integrating the human capability development with technological innovation, the Kingdom will be able to enhance service excellence to advance Vision 2030 goals and also develop a workforce that is globally competitive within the hospitality industry.