JEDDAH — The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has trained 50 women to work for a well-known travel and tourism company in the Kingdom. The company prepared a suitable work environment for women and the female employees have already started working, said executive director of the SCTA in Makkah Muhammad Al-Amri. The main challenge that women hoping to work in tourism sector face are the unsociable working hours, which are applied in the majority of tourism job opportunities. Late shifts, said Al-Amri, are not suitable for Saudi women because of their family commitments. What women need to be more involved in the tourism sector are education and learning. Therefore, there is a need to have specialist tourism colleges and set up qualified institutes that provide training for women, said Al-Amri. The commission, he added, provides training programs and financial aid to train Saudis and help find job opportunities for them. Women account for 15 percent of participation in the tourism sectors whether they are investors or workers, according to a study by the Council of Saudi Chambers, said Al-Amri. The commission, he said, has helped over 3,000 women enhance their handcraft skills and also helped them sell their products in five different Saudi cities through the cooperation of different private sector companies. The SCTA, said Al-Amri, is now coordinating with the Ministry of Labor to develop a new system of work for women to be able to work in tourism, antiquities, traditional architecture and handcrafts. Women, he said, are now breaking into the tourism sector. He said the SCTA works on improving the qualifications and skills of young Saudis to start working in the sector based on international tourism rules. The SCTA coordinates with the private and public sectors, universities, training centers and scholarship programs. This cooperation has already helped provide training and courses for nationals to help them work or invest in the tourism sector, said Al-Amri.
