Waleed Fitaihi, chairman and CEO of the International Medical Center, highlighted this key message during a meeting with young businessmen and women at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Fitaihi reviewed his 25-year experience and his scientific and academic journey in the US and the reasons behind changing his specialty from engineering to medicine. Fitaihi chose the medical career and investing in this field rather than joining the huge trade edifice in the field of jewelry and jewelry-making which his father has built.

“My father requested me to fulfill a life-long ambition that he himself could not achieve — to become a physician,” said Fitaihi.

He said went ahead and studied medicine after completing his a degree in engineering.

Fitaihi pointed out that he was not sure whether he would be able to complete his medical studies, yet he did it and became the first Saudi national to acquire an MD from an American university.

Trained at Harvard Medical Colleges' hospitals, he then was assigned an academic positing at Harvard.

The CEO revealed his dream of spreading Islamic values in the US, which he pursued by leading a campaign to build the Dawa center, library and mosque in Boston.

Fitaihi highlighted the center's efforts in attracting people to Islam.

Ftaihi also revealed the reasons behind his decision to return to the Kingdom despite holding a distinguished academic position at Harvard. His ambition was to establish a medical center that provides healthcare in accordance Islamic standards that matches American and Canadian standards.

The medical center aims towards building a unique role model in the field of healthcare with a comprehensive approach to heal people souls and bodies, following the best international medical standards and moral values.

He extended his gratitude to the Chamber of Commerce for providing an opportunity for him to meet with young generation of businessmen and women and share his experiences to help enrich their knowledge and enhance their skills and expertise.