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Gender reforms may seem slow and lagging at first, but they are definitely underway in Saudi Arabia, as the country finally gave women last year the right to drive cars. The King Abdulaziz University follows this advancement next, according to Arab News in Feb. 9, as it plans to open its tourism faculty to female students.
“Female student intake will begin in the coming academic year. This wasn’t possible, at least not until we officially begin the female programs,” Ibrahim Alsini, head of the university’s hospital department, told Arab News. He noted that the university has received great interest from students who want to change their major to tourism, “The industry is hungry for professionals.”
While the university plans to set up a women’s campus by 2019, it is still unknown whether other courses will be offered apart from tourism. In the male campus, for example, culinary arts, heritage resources management, and event management are among other courses available.
The King Abdulaziz University is academically partnered with other respected academies worldwide, such as the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland, the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, among others.
“Our current programs are taught in English, along with two French language courses,” added Alsini. “Almost 70 percent of our courses are practical.”
The fate of Saudi Arabian women continue to change and develop with the times, and it’s exciting to see and ponder what other advancements may soon be available to them. As the Kingdom starts to shift its focus on boosting tourism, perhaps a law to allow women into sports can also be expected in the near future? The rest of the world can only wait, fingers crossed. Cody Cepeda/JB
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