Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Ministry of Tourism has announced the launch of two new higher diploma programs in tourism, in partnership with the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh.

Launched and introduced in two new foreign languages, English and French, the two programs aim to elevate the standards and qualifications of Saudi tourism sector workers and empower women in the field.

The ministry said on Twitter: “In partnership with Princess Nourah University, we are pleased to offer two higher diploma programs in the field of tourism launched in two languages including English and French. These two programs are the first programs of their kind in Saudi universities, with the aim of preparing professionally qualified cadres in various fields of tourism according to the highest standards.”

Applicants must achieve specific scores in related tests to qualify for the programs, including a minimum score of 65 in the Post-Graduate General Aptitude Test. They must also complete a bachelor’s degree in related majors with a grade of at least B or C+.

Those who wish to apply to the French diploma programs must obtain level A2 in the DELF (Diplome d’etudes en langue francaise), TEF (Test d’Evaluation de Francais), or other French-language equivalent tests.

For the English diploma program, applicants must score at least 5.5 on the Academic IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or equivalent test.

The tourism diploma program lasts for one year, with a total credit of 28 hours and total fee of SR22,400 ($5,970)

PNU offers a range of about 20 master’s degree programs, including several interdisciplinary and international collaboration-based programs. The university has been working to introduce programs that keep pace with local and global developments, and meet the needs of the labor market in line with Vision 2030.

Although Saudi universities offer Arabic diploma programs in tourism, the addition of English and French programs is a bonus in attracting visitors to the Kingdom.

According to the Kingdom’s Unified National Platform, one of the most important criteria that Saudi tourist guide license applicants must meet is mastering at least one foreign language.

There are 1,233 licensed Saudi tour guides in the Kingdom, according to the Ministry of Tourism. The Saudi Tour Guides Association aims to increase the number of licensed male and female tour guides to 13,000 by 2030.