How did the story begin?
On an ordinary night, the founder of Nesr returned late from work. In a tweet, he recounted how an Uber driver inspired him with the story of global speaker Les Brown, linking it to the journey of entrepreneurs, stress, sleepless nights, and responsibility.
Within hours, the tweet reached over a million views… and with the positive response, some people appeared to understand the story differently:
- Some people thought that it belittled the "driver".
- Some read it as an "exaggeration" in talking about the fatigue of the entrepreneur.
Instead of getting into a long debate, we at Nesr decided to take the more difficult… and more beautiful path:
Turning misunderstandings into a genuine empowerment project.
This is where the initiative was born:
"Captain and Guide – Saudi Arabia's First Face for Tourists"
Why do we believe in captains?
If you think about it for a bit, you'll discover that the captain is:
- The first face that a tourist or visitor to the Kingdom sees.
- A living testament to the city's streets, neighborhoods, and daily mood.
- A good listener to people's stories, questions, and impressions.
Many captains:
- He knows the best route to Al Masmak Palace, and the most beautiful view of Riyadh City Boulevard.
- He can explain the difference between historical Diriyah and modern Kafedh… even if he doesn’t call himself a “tour guide”.
We at Nesr believe that:
The captain is not just a "driver"... the captain is a moving tourist attraction.
With the right training, he can become a professional tour guide, increasing his income and growing his influence.
What is the "Captain and Mentor" initiative?
A community initiative by Nesr that aims to:
- Discovering captains who are passionate about tourism and Saudi identity.
- Training and qualifying them to be certified tour guides or partners in smart tours.
- Opening up new income and opportunities for them by connecting with tourists and tourism programs.
The initiative includes 3 main tracks:
1) Meetings “Tour Guide Experience – Captains’ Edition”
Friendly meetings where we host:
- Inspiring captains from the field (such as the dean of captains, Jaber bin Saud, and others).
- Professional tour guides.
They are talking about:
- How did they begin?
- What challenges did they face?
- How does the captain's perspective differ from the guide's perspective?
- And how can one cleverly combine the two roles?
2) The "From Delivery to Guidance" program
A training program through the Eagle Academy that focuses on:
- The fundamentals of Saudi identity and the stories of cities.
- Skills for dealing with tourists.
- Safety, ethics, and representing the country.
- How does the captain tell his story and the story of his city in a way that respects time, the customer, and order?
3) Linking captains with tourism opportunities
through:
- Eagle Tours in Riyadh and other cities.
- Potential partnerships with delivery apps and transport companies.
- Integrating distinguished captains into smart tour experiences (Smart Tours) run by a human guide and a smart guide together.
Lessons from the story of "Captain and Mentor"
This initiative is not just about training… it's about a way of thinking:
1) From defense… to creating a solution
We could have just made an explanation on Twitter and moved on.
But in the Eagle, we asked ourselves:
"What's the worst thing? To respond with words... and not build an initiative that changes reality?"
We chose to respond with a program, not just a tweet.
2) Respecting every profession… opens new doors
Captains are not a "lower rank" than any other profession.
on the contrary:
- Some of them hold advanced degrees.
- Some of them are retired and looking for value and contribution.
- Some of them support their families with this work with all honor.
Our mission at Eagle:
We raise the image of the profession… and link it to tourism and identity, instead of limiting it to “trips only”.
3) The impact is greater than the controversy
On social media, arguments are resolved in 24 hours… but:
- One captain became a guide,
- One tour can change a tourist's view of the country.
- Its impact lasts for years.
The "Captain and Mentor" initiative is a message to us before anyone else:
Don't waste your time responding to every critical voice…
Invest your time in building something that makes criticism itself part of your success story.
How can you join or support the initiative?
- If you are a captain and love your city, you can fill out the joining form via the Eagle Academy .
- If you are a tour guide or tourism student , you can attend the meetings and volunteer with us in training.
- If you are a delivery app or company , the door is open to any partnership that supports the captains and opens up a professional tourism path for them.
At Nasr, we believe that:
"The quickest way to a tourist's heart... starts from the captain's seat."
Be an eagle… and be a #captain_and_guide . 🦅🚕