Dubai: Alshaya International Trading, a retail franchise operator, said on Wednesday that it expects to open retail academies in Jeddah and Dammam, Saudi Arabia, over the next two years.

The Retail Academy in Jeddah is expected to open later this year, while the one in Dammam is set to open in 2015. The company already has a Retail Academy in Riyadh. Through its expansion of retail academies, Alshaya aims to enhance its ability to introduce young women to the skills required for a career in retail.