Speaking to Arab News on the eve of Jubail Toastmasters Annual Division L Conference that starts today, Khalid Matlagaitu, general manager of the Saudi-European Petrochemical Co. (Ibn Zahr), admitted at one time he was not a fan of Toastmasters.

“I didn’t know all that it offered. Only when we formed the Ibn Zahr Toastmasters Club three years ago did I realize the enormous potential of this organization,” said Matlagaitu.

He said a large number of Saudis were now joining these clubs. “I am in a leadership position, and Toastmasters helped me to communicate better and to present my ideas in a clear and concise way. I know of many talented Saudis who have brilliant ideas, but they know not how to present them.”

Matlagaitu, who is now the assistant governor for education and training at Toastmasters Division L, said joining these clubs was a stepping-stone to success. “You may have the best ideas in the world, but if you cannot present them in a way that others can understand then you are lost. I encourage young Saudis to join these clubs to understand the nuances of the English language and to speak correct, grammatical English.”

Conference Chairman Taher Moinuddin, who works as a project engineer for Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), said Jubail has seen a phenomenal increase in the number of Toastmasters clubs in recent years.

“We now have 15 clubs in Jubail with each club having an average of 40 members,” he said. “This was not the case until 2006. The first club, called Jubail Toastmasters, was formed in 1998, and by 2006 we had only five clubs. Then corporate houses, such as SABIC and Sipchem, joined in a big way and provided a strong impetus for the organization.”

Moinuddin said all eyes were on the two-day conference that begins at the Multi Event Center in Jubail today. “Nearly 500 people have registered for the event. Of them nearly 60 are women. The annual conference has elicited immense response from across the social spectrum in Jubail. We have corporate heads, business executives, engineers, doctors, schoolteachers and students .... There will be men, women and children. It is going to be one big event,” he said.

Among the highlights of the two-day conference are keynote speeches by 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking Craig Valentine; Saudi columnist and Shoura Council member Najeeb Al-Zamil; Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Almaeena; prominent businessman and father of all Toastmasters clubs in the Eastern Province Abdulrazzak Al-Turki; SABIC Shared Services Executive Vice President Abdullah Al-Rabeeah and Jeddah United Sports Co. Executive Director Lina Almaeena.

“As the title of the conference suggests, conquering heights in the field of your chosen profession is not a difficult task, and our guest speakers, who have accomplished a lot in their lives and careers, will demonstrate this through their interactive presentations,” said Division L Governor Syed Waheed Lateef.

Among the high-ranking Saudis who have become popular Toastmasters and who are set to liven up the conference are Abdullah Al-Garawi, vice president, Manufacturing, SABIC; Abdulla Al-Alweet, chief learning officer, SABIC; Mazyad Al-Khaldi, president, Ibn Sina Petrochemical Co.; Mosaed Al-Garni, general manager, Sadaf Petrochemical Co.; Abdulla Salem, general manager, Sadaf Petrochemical Co. and Ahmed Al-Shaikh, president, Jubail United Petrochemical Co.

Also available at the conference will be Marianne Alireza’s fascinating autobiography, “At the Drop of a Veil.”

It chronicles the life and times of this extraordinary woman and offers a sincere and intelligent look at life in Saudi Arabia and specifically in Jeddah before the oil boom transformed the Kingdom into a modern nation.

For more information on the Jubail clubs, visit http://www.toastmastersdivisionl.com/