RIYADH, 3 April 2006 — Riyadh Governor Prince Salman yesterday urged young Saudi businessmen to learn from the hardships that their fathers and grandfathers had gone through.
Addressing the first “Youth Businessmen Forum” organized by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), the governor said patience and hard work were the prerequisites for achieving success.
“Opportunities are available everywhere and the youths should not wait for success but acquire it by hard work,” Prince Salman told nearly 200 young businessmen attending the forum.
He said he was confident that the youths of today would be able to add to the achievements of yesterday’s generation. “There is no doubt that the youths are the backbone of society. They are its present and they are its future. The responsibility on their shoulders is great. They should take education as their shield and learn sciences in order to contribute to the country’s development.”
Prince Salman said that he hoped the forum’s workshops and discussions would be candid and provide solutions to the many problems facing young businessmen. “Our youths should be aware of the market situation and be able to weather any challenges, particularly in the face of global competition,” he added.
Prince Salman said he was confident that government and private agencies, including consultancies and financial institutions, would not hesitate in supporting young businessmen and women to achieve their ambitions.
Commerce and Industry Minister Dr. Hashim Yamani and RCCI President Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy also attended the forum.
Al-Jeraisy said the Kingdom hopes to invest $624 billion in the next 15 years in various business ventures. “Many of these ventures are in sectors where young businessmen could invest,” he said.
He said the Kingdom witnessed an unprecedented economic boom in the past four years. “The results of 2005 were better than 2004,” he pointed out.
Al-Jeraisy said that RCCI invited many experts and representatives of government and private institutions to shed light on the challenges facing young Saudis. He said he hoped the forum would give young businessmen a perspective of the vast changes in the economic world in the age of globalization. The forum concludes tomorrow.
