Saudi Arabia’s Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) – in collaboration with colleges of excellence at the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) – will train 10,000 young Saudi people in architectural heritage to help professionalise the sector and boost domestic tourism.

The ambitious training programme would see the students trained over the next five years in preparation for joining engineering and contracting offices and firms in the Kingdom. In addition, the SCTA is planning to host a restoration expo in 2016, in conjunction with international companies, to build national expertise and sign partnerships to train Saudi Arabians in the fields of mud and stone architecture, repainting on wood, glass, iron doors and panels – decorative works prevalent in different regions of the Kingdom.

According to Meshari Al-Naeem, supervisor general of the National Urban Heritage Center (NUHC) – an affiliate of SCTA which also ran a 60-day heritage training course ending last September – the idea is to groom creative professionals in the areas of restoration and the preservation of urban heritage in the Kingdom to boost domestic tourism.

“This programme will address the Saudi market’s lack of trained technicians in the field of urban heritage restoration, as the available workers are mostly old craftsmen, while the Saudi labour market needs trained professionals and technicians in these areas,” said Al-Naeem, who also stressed the need to develop the expertise of artisans with the knowledge of local historical experiences.

According to the Kingdom, heritage tourism has emerged in recent times as a top attraction for the country, with particularly popular locations including UNESCO world heritage sites Madain Saleh in Madinah province, Al-Diriya in Riyadh and Historic Jeddah.