MAKKAH – An official in the Tourism Committee of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has estimated nearly SR200 million is wasted on annual school trips to Makkah. He said that an agreement would be signed with the Ministry of Education to make it mandatory that all future school trips to Makkah are assigned official tourist guides provided by the Tourism Committee. Fahd Al-Wudhainani, Chairman of the Tourism Committee, said, “Undoubtedly, trips carried out by government and private schools in Makkah can be described as haphazard, as they lack the factors for success. Most important among these is that the students in different stages of education should gain knowledge and useful information from the trips. Apart from these, such school trips lack safety and security factors, as many students have had accidents during school trips especially those in recreation parks. “We are in the process of signing an agreement with the Ministry of Education whose features will become clear in the near future.” Al-Wudhainani said the most important element in the agreement is to restrict the organizing of school trips to tourist guides, who will be provided by the Tourism Committee. “These guides will be well equipped with sufficient knowledge and training to organize school trips at a set fee, which will be determined by the committee in the future. The trips will focus on historical sites in Makkah about which the young generations have little knowledge. Therefore, such trips will be educational and provide the students with useful knowledge that will help them in their stages of education,” he added. The chairman said such an agreement would create 2,000 jobs for young men to work as tour guides. This could especially benefit university students that specialized in history, as they have an excellent background on archaeological and historical sites of Makkah. Makkah has many historical sites that include the Hira Cave, Mount Thor, Al-Bay'ah Mosque where Al-Ansar gave their pledge of allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and Bir Dhi Tuwa Mosque built at the location where the Prophet (pbuh) stopped on his way to performing Haj and Umrah. It is narrated that a thousand prophets passed through this location, which is opposite the gate of the Maternity and Pediatric Hospital at Jarwal in western Makkah. Other historical sites include Mount Abi Qubais, which is one of the most famous mountains in Makkah that overlooks the Grand Mosque from the east between Shi'b Ali and Ajyad. It is said that the Black Stone was lodged in the mountain during the floods period. There is also the Mount of Mercy (Jabal Al-Rahmah) where the pilgrims stand on Arafat Day. The mount has early Islamic inscriptions and others dating back to the 10th Hijri century. People climb the mount using steps from the southern side. At the foot of the mount on the southern and western side is Ain Zubaidah canal, where there are many ancient pools that were used by pilgrims.
