JEDDAH: President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) Prince Sultan bin Salman has asked that a 10-year-old child from Al-Qassim be granted a tour guide license, unprecedented for a child his age.

A video of the boy translating for a tour guide in the province of Oyoun Al-Jawa during the visit of a group of foreign tourists to the area has gone viral on social networks, prompting Prince Sultan to contact the boy’s father and congratulate him for his son’s enthusiasm in presenting his homeland.

SCTNH tweeted on its official account the news that the child will be trained in tour-guiding activities to enable him to continue practicing his hobby during his spare time.

The child, Waleed Khaled Al-Lamailem, lives in Oyoun Al-Jawa, in northern Qassim.

He appeared in the video translating to a group of German tourists visiting the province last Wednesday.

The child’s father, Khaled Al-Lamailem, said his son learned English when he accompanied his family to Australia where his father pursued his doctorate degree.

He joined a kindergarten there and continued elementary schooling in Australia until the 4th grade, which enabled him to excel in English.

Upon returning to the Kingdom, the family was keen on ensuring he maintained his knowledge of the English language, so they allowed him to continue reading, but also focused on teaching him the Qur'an and Arabic, his mother tongue.

The boy also excels in Arabic and has memorized large portions of the Qur'an, the father said.

Waleed will be one of the members of the Tourism and Hospitality Project being implemented by the Social Development Council in Oyoun Al-Jawa in coordination with the Oyoun Al-Jawa municipality and the SCTNH’s branch in Qassim.

The project focuses on increasing the number of tourists and visits to the province, promoting awareness of its landmarks, training youth in tour-guiding activities and supporting productive families.