seeing tour of Riyadh City has received a big response from the public and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) is now encouraging private tour and travel operators to continue the practice during weekends. The weeklong sight-seeing tours of the city aimed at promoting domestic tourism ended Thursday. This was SCTA's first project launched on Saturday to promote domestic tourism in cooperation with Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO). The overwhelming response from the people prompted SCTA to hold discussions with the tour and travel operators encouraging them to continue the practice at every weekend – Thursdays and Fridays with King Abdulaziz Historical City as a starting point. “The weeklong free sight-seeing tours of the city was such a big hit among Saudis and foreigners that the SCTA is exploring possibilities with the private tour and travel operators to organize similar tours at a nominal charges on weekends,” a SCTA official said. The free sight-seeing tours that included visits to the capital's landmarks such as historical places and shopping malls attracted a large number of people both Saudis, diplomats and expatriate families. SAPTCO was operating since Saturday four 45-seater buses twice a day from Prince Salman Science Oasis, King Abdullah Road at 4.30 P.M. and 6.30 P.M. People started to arrive at the starting point well ahead of time and the buses were full to the capacity, he said. Among the visitors, the official said, were expatriates of various nationalities and diplomats and ambassadors of Japan and Brazil. “However, majority were those Saudis visiting Riyadh from suburban areas and other cities during this short vacation,” he said. Each bus was accompanied with well-trained tour guides, who briefed the tourists both in Arabic and English about the landmark and historical places. There were short stops during the two-hour trip and the tourists were taken to a 20-minute tour of Al-Masmuk Palace in downtown Riyadh. “The response from the people was beyond expectation and there is no reason for the private tour operators not to organize similar tour of the city. It will open a number of jobs for Saudis as tour-guide and in other areas,” the SCTA official said. According to one private tour operator, who is discussing the possibilities of continuing the tour of the city, the minimum charge could be around SR50 per head. Speaking on condition of anonymity he said it would be a packaged tour of the city that included a number of landmarks, historical places and leading shopping malls. “The tourists will also be briefed at each stopover by well-trained tour guides during the two
