Al Hada, Taif at sunset
Over the last year and a half, Saudi Arabia has been working on expanding its tourism sector, with a specific focus on developing its archaeological sites and nature-centric offerings, as well as building new tourism projects. In line with its efforts to open its doors and welcome more visitors from across the globe, Saudi Arabia has also been recruiting female guides in various cities such as Shahad Al-Sufyani, the first female guide to be employed in Taif.
As the city’s first woman to work as a tour guide, Al-Sufyani has been collaborating with some of Taif’s tourist offices when they have tourism delegations, and she sometimes receives personal requests to act as a tour guide as well. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, Al-Sufyani explained that she has not faced any obstacles as a woman doing her job. In fact, she explained that the people of Taif are looking forward to having tourists visiting their city, and they have been very supportive of Saudi women looking to work within the tourism sector.
“As a tourist guide, I met with people from different cultures including great personalities. Taif is becoming an important tourists destination during the Haj and Umrah season, especially as the airport in the city is becoming an international one,” she said to the news site.
Across the Kingdom, women guides are making their mark in the sector. In 2017, for instance, Saudi Arabia named Maryam Al-Harbi as the Kingdom’s Best Tourist Guide for the year. Known as Saudi Arabia’s first-ever female tour guide, Al-Harbi was honored with the title by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) due to her work, dedication, and skills in making the Kingdom more accessible to visitors.
According to an article by Arab News published last year, Al-Harbi holds a degree in archaeology, a number of qualifications in tourism, and was enrolled at the time as a master’s student at King Saud University studying antiquities. She is also fluent in English, Arabic, and Turkish, and is working on her Mandarin.
