The voluntary service of Saudi youth at Taif's Souq Okaz last month will act as a model for others to achieve economic and social objectives in society, said a press release issued by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). According to Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, it will also facilitate creating employment opportunities for Saudi youth in the future. The 120 young Saudis who participated in the week-long festivities that attracted thousands of visitors have won accolades from one and all, said the SCTA. Prince Khaled was pleased with the participation of Taif's youth who volunteered to work in Souq Okaz, the SCTA statement said. It said that among the participating volunteers, 30 percent were graduates from Al-Taif University and the rest were from local communities surrounding the area. The volunteers were assigned specific tasks, such as overseeing the safety and security of visitors, regulating entry and exit points, organizing the parking of vehicles, answering visitors' queries, looking after the cleanliness of the Souq and supervising environmental aspects. Prince Khaled said that assigning various tasks to Saudi youth volunteers was aimed at achieving economic and social objectives that Souq Okaz sought to instill in members of society. Hamad Al-Sheikh, Director General of SCTA's Programs and Tourism Products, said that the experience of voluntary work in Souq Okaz was aimed at developing the role of Saudi youth to participate in events and tourist activities. Such voluntary work will be of great benefit to the community and encourage the community's participation in activities such as Souq Okaz, he said. “Our society, on a number of occasions, offers the opportunity to volunteer services. However, the SCTA is keen to apply the proper standards in this regard to take advantage of international expertise which can be adapted to our society's needs,” he said. The SCTA will continue to apply volunteerism to tourism events taking place throughout the various regions of the Kingdom, he added. Al-Sheikh said voluntary work falls within the framework of the country's tourism development goals. The SCTA envisages the involvement of all members of the local community in tourism-related activities and events and supports the concept of voluntary services among young people in society.
