Heritage Resources Management & Tourist Guidance

• Heritage Concepts: Explain fundamental concepts and operational techniques essential for managing tangible and intangible heritage resources.
• Tour Guidance Foundations: Define key concepts, types, and the essential characteristics of effective tour guidance, including the legal responsibilities of the profession.
• Industry Scale: Recognize the scale, scope, and organization of the local and international tourism industry, focusing on the management of cultural and recreational resources. 

• On-Site Guidance: Demonstrate advanced skills in guiding visitors through diverse environments, including cultural heritage sites, indoor museums, open-air sites, and historic city centers.
• Program Design: Develop proficiency in designing on-site guided tracks, creating city tour programs, and implementing comprehensive visitor management plans.
• Tool Integration: Create, adapt, and apply modern IT tools and technical resources to solve complex management problems in the field of heritage.
• Problem Solving: Investigate complex issues and interpret quantitative and qualitative data to develop evidence-based solutions for heritage and tourism challenges. 

• Team Leadership: Manage tourism and hospitality establishments effectively by building leadership skills and fostering cooperation within multidisciplinary professional teams.
• Sustainable Ethics: Identify and evaluate professional constraints related to sustainability, the economy, and the environment to ensure ethical heritage practice.
• Cultural Dialogue: Engage in constructive cultural dialogue and demonstrate intercultural competence when interacting with diverse domestic and international audiences. 

• High School Diploma: Applicants must hold a Saudi Secondary School Certificate (Humanities or Scientific track) or its equivalent from a recognized institution.
• Recency of Graduation: The high school diploma must generally have been obtained within the last five years.
• National Tests: Applicants must sit for the General Aptitude Test (GAT) and the Achievement Test administered by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC).
• Composite Score: Admission is highly competitive and based on a weighted “Balanced Score” (usually a combination of High School GPA, GAT, and Achievement Test scores).

Common First Year – Humanities Track

First Year – First Semester

English Language Skills (Intensive Level) – 3 Credit Hours
Communication Skills – 3 Credit Hours
IT & Computer Skills – 3 Credit Hours

First Year – Second Semester

English Language Skills (Continued) – 3 Credit Hours
Communication Skills (Continued) – 3 Credit Hours
IT & Computer Skills (Continued) – 3 Credit Hours

Specialized Curriculum

Second Year – First Semester

Principles of Heritage Conservation – 3 Credit Hours
History of the Arabian Peninsula – 3 Credit Hours
Techniques of Tourist Guidance – 3 Credit Hours

Second Year – Second Semester

Legislation and Laws in Heritage – 3 Credit Hours
World Heritage Sites in KSA – 3 Credit Hours
Tourism Protocol and Etiquette – 3 Credit Hours

Third Year – First Semester

Museum Management – 3 Credit Hours
Islamic Arts and Architecture – 3 Credit Hours
Geography of Tourism in Saudi Arabia – 3 Credit Hours

Third Year – Second Semester

Documentation of Heritage Sites – 3 Credit Hours
Folk Heritage (Folklore) – 3 Credit Hours
First Aid for Tour Guides – 3 Credit Hours

Fourth Year – First Semester

Tourism Marketing – 3 Credit Hours
Human Resources in Tourism – 3 Credit Hours
Economics of Heritage – 3 Credit Hours

Fourth Year – Second Semester

GIS in Heritage Management – 3 Credit Hours
Digital Documentation – 3 Credit Hours
Tourism Information Systems – 3 Credit Hours

Practical & Field Training

Final Year – Practicum / Internship

Mandatory Field Training – 6–8 weeks at approved sites, such as:

• Heritage Commission

• Saudi Red Sea Authority

• Major giga-projects (e.g., AlUla, Diriyah)

Graduation Requirements

• Total Credit Hours: 132–136

• Language Proficiency: Arabic primarily; intensive English ensures ability to serve international tourists

• Field Training: Completion of mandatory practicum at approved heritage or tourism site