It was at an annual conference of worldwide speakers’ clubs in Amman, Jordan where the announcement was made. Speakers representing Saudi Arabia had gained significant participation and momentum, a fitting proof, to declare Saudi Arabia as a completely independent Toastmasters district, effective July 1, 2011! Previously Toastmasters KSA was in a joint district with other GCC countries as well as Jordan and Lebanon.

The diverse members of this dynamic group of public speakers weren’t always confident and well polished communicators. They have collectively invested time and effort into their self-improvement. Week after week they meet to hone their communication, leadership, team building, and presentation skills.

“I was listening to an audio book called ‘How to Build a Network of Power Relationships’ by Harvey Mackay and he said…that there is a non-profit organization…for communication and leadership that can change anybody’s life,” recalled Omar Alhusseini, president of the Sand Dunes Toastmaster Club in Riyadh.

“He said if you join that organization for one year and nothing changed in your life then I will pay you back everything you paid to this organization...I immediately contacted different clubs in Riyadh through the Toastmasters International website.”

Toastmasters International was founded in 1924 and first introduced in Saudi Arabia in Dhahran in 1978. Today there are 120 clubs divided into nine divisions meeting all around the Kingdom. Clubs are organized by region, common interest, language, gender, or age.

For many years, the clubs in Saudi were conducted in English and consisted primarily of expatriates. Recently they have become a force to reckon with in the GCC with the introduction of Arabic speaking clubs. Saudi Arabia is proud to have the first and only all-women Arabic club. There are even special family clubs that offer opportunities for children who wish to improve their communication and leadership skills.

James Taruc, KSA Outgoing Area 5 Governor and Incoming Riyadh Division Governor, originally from the Philippines, joined a Riyadh Toastmasters group in March 2008. Like most novice speakers, he had experienced nervousness and lack of preparation during his university presentations.

Since joining, Taruc has worked through the step-by-step program to develop his skills and has achieved many awards including the highly distinguished “Advanced Communicator Bronze” award and “Advanced Leader Bronze” designation. Taruc has been instrumental in starting and developing six new clubs in Riyadh and hopes to add six more this year.

“I became a Toastmaster because I find this a way to improve myself, help others and serve the community to which I belong,” explained Taruc. “The benefits of being a Toastmaster include comfort, because it helps you to express your thoughts and ideas in a composed and acceptable manner…and love, as people in the Toastmasters circle understand and accept you as you are. Toastmasters is a safe place to grow and learn from our mistakes.”

“I was a very shy person,” said Alhusseini. “When I was a student at university, I was not able to ask any questions. During classes, I had to wait until the end…to ask my lecturers in person. I also avoided every presentation in front of the management at my work and I used to ask my colleagues to do that… because I was shy to speak in public. The main reason for me to join Toastmasters was to have the confidence to speak in public, because I knew that there will be no way to advance in my life without this skill.”

Alhusseini has proven his skills by winning first place in the Arabic International Speech Contest for his district in 2010 and the English International Speech Contest for the Riyadh area in 2011.

During club meetings, participants are assigned designated roles that work together to build leadership, team building, and communication skills of all members. Usually there are prepared speeches as well as Table Topics which develop participants’ abilities to organize their thoughts quickly in response to impromptu questions or topics.

“These interactive sessions build the skill and confidence needed in everyday business situations that can put you on-the-spot,” said Riyadh member Abo Rayan.

“After joining this organization I discovered it not only builds your public speaking skills, but it also builds leadership skills,” explained Alhusseini.

There is built-in feedback for speakers by members fulfilling the Evaluator, Grammarian, and Ah-Counter duties.

“The Ah-Counter role really gets you focused on your listening skills,” Abo Rayan explained, “It’s a job where you have to listen to everyone and make note of long pauses or filler-words, such as ‘ah, um, and, but, you know’ that can detract from a speech and display lack of confidence or preparation. When I first started I was a terrible offender! I thought I was a good speaker until I realized just how many times I fumble with fillers during my presentations. I’ve been working really hard to improve in this area.”

Alhusseini said, “There are great mentors in my club as well as in my area who give me the right directions that help me to be a better person. I believe I now have the skills to make the difference in any organization I work for, thanks to Toastmasters.”

Keeping within the allotted time is also an area of concern. Every speaker is given a set time to express themselves. The job of the Timer is to keep track of the time, signal the member when time is almost up, and report whether each speech was delivered within the minimum and maximum times allowed.

“I’m proud to be a member of this prestigious, international, organization which provides personal growth opportunities to members from all backgrounds in Saudi Arabia,” said Abo Rayan. “It’s also exciting to belong to the fastest growing Arabic club in our area. With each new member, we see men who come in nervous and self conscious and we get to witness them transform into competent speakers who prepare great speeches and display confidence through eye contact and effective body language.”

“Communication and leadership skills are vital in the world. If anyone wants to change this world to make it a better place, then she or he needs to improve and enhance these skills,” advised Alhusseini. “It is important to note that communication and leadership skills take some time to build and members need at least one year to see a major change in their lives. I would like to say, as Harvey Mackay did. Join for one year; and if you do not see a major change in your communication and leadership skills, then I will personally guarantee your money back!”

“KSA’s new independence (in the Toastmaster organization)will provide more leadership opportunities for members to grab,” said Taruc, “More opportunities mean more people will benefit from the program.”