Rahma Mountain in Arafat, a famous holy site in Makkah. Such sacred sites are in dire need of tour guides to educate millions of pilgrims who visit these sites every year. Saudi Gazette The Holy City of Makkah is in grave need of educated and professional tour guides. Young energetic and friendly men with a solid background in history and training in tourism should be available all year round to greet the guests of Allah, to show them around, and explain to them the significance of each sacred site. Specialists in the field of preserving historical sites in Makkah view this initiative as a necessity and not merely an optional or elective service. The tourism services in Makkah are in a dire situation and lacking tour guides at the moment. Only 11 trained and experienced tour guides are employed in the Makkah region. With 24 historical attractions and hundreds of thousands of visitors each month, this number is highly insufficient. Perfect candidates for this job are history and Shariah graduates and also graduates from the College of Tourism and Archeology. Tour guides will renew the life and knowledge back to the sacred sites that are rich in spiritual meaning and lessons to learn. Visitors should be assisted and instructed at several spots, such as Al-Nur Mountain, Cave Hira, Thawr Mountain, Al-Rahma Mountain in Arafat, and the exact birth place of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). “It is our responsibility in the Kingdom to increase awareness and serve the holy sites and educate the visitors who come from all over the world. I recommend cooperation between the colleges of both history and tourism to train and qualify tour guides who will be distributed at the historical Islamic sites throughout Makkah,” said Dr. Fawaz Al-Dahas, history professor at Um Al-Qura University. “A tour guide should act as an ambassador for Islam and for Saudi Arabia. It is the tour guide's role to give a lasting positive impression of the country and to make our guests' trips more fruitful. The tour guide will shape the people's view of Makkah,” said Dr. Mohammad Al-Omairi, Dean of the College of Management Sciences and Tourism at Um Al-Qura University in Makkah. Dr. Omairi added, “At the College of Management Sciences and Tourism, we offer a three year full time tourism program to teach and train students in English because English is the international language of communication. Future tourists are also required to study French during the training course.” Makkah attracts the largest number of Muslims each year. Visitors who travel there to perform Umrah or Haj should also be welcomed at the historical places that were so important during the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him). A recent study from the Ministry of Haj showed a 30% increase in Umrah pilgrims compared to last year. Improving tourism in Makkah will not only offer employment opportunities to countless university graduates, but will provide better services to both local and international pilgrims. __
