Over the past few years, Saudi Arabia has been working on developing its various tourism industries while ensuring that women are fully integrated into the sector. A large part of the Kingdom’s efforts has been to provide support in every way that allows women to be part and parcel of the tourism sector, particularly through various licensing and training programs. Today, Saudi Arabia continues to empower women and increase their numbers within the sector, this time with its landmark announcement that it plans on training a staggering 25,000 women in the next two years.
According to Arab News, the 25,000 future trainees will include 1,400 tour guides. Today, the percentage of women in the sector stands at 22 percent. As explained by the director general of the National Center for Tourism Human Resources Development, Nasser Al-Nashmi, there are currently over 8,100 tourism graduates in the Kingdom and there are plans to increase the number by 10 percent in the upcoming years. He also explained that more than 9,000 women to date have already benefited from the body’s training programs and that the center will continue working to localize employment by developing the skills of Saudi nationals.
Dr. Nadia Qurban, the first woman to receive a tour guide license in Jeddah
From recently launching a licensing program to creating a number of educational and training initiatives, Saudi Arabia is well on its way to ensuring that its women are represented in and are contributing to the growth of the country’s tourism sector. Earlier in February, 150 Saudi Arabian women applied for tourist guide licenses following its announcement that the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) would be issuing licenses to qualified individuals. Indeed, the country’s Licenses General Authority recently announced that almost 1,000 Saudi women are now licensed to practice tourist activities across the country
