BRJ supporting talented Saudis

Through its small projects finance program, Bab Rizq Jameel (BRJ), an initiative of ALJ Community Initiatives (ALJCI), financed 4,757 small projects in 2012.
Abdul Rahman Al-Fihaid, BRJ executive director in Saudi Arabia said, “BRJ divisions have financed projects in various fields, such as cartoon waste recycling, private schools, aluminum cans, coffee shops for young people, silver and gold products design, wedding dress design, confectioneries and a donut production factory, beauty centers and several other projects.”
The program gives support to young men and women who have existing projects or ideas for new endeavors, feasibility studies and official licenses. These people have the skills and are experienced in project management, but they lack financial resources. The program helps them to implement their plans through loans up to SR 150,000.
Al-Fihaid said that several young people had presented traditional and stale ideas, such as setting up a sales outlet for mobile phones, laundry shops, beauty centers and tailoring workshops. BRJ will continue to finance such projects when the location is appropriate, but priority is given to outstanding and untraditional projects. These depend upon technology and computer software, creative areas such as writing novels, film production, painting, photography, or other similar start-ups that contribute to the community and provide more job opportunities for young Saudis.
Al-Fihaid considered untraditional projects to be more serious and disciplined. They are usually based upon a firm feasibility study, and the project owner is always fully aware of the details and supervises his own project, unlike traditional projects, which are operated by non-Saudis.
BRJ has produced special commercials to promote projects that are based upon creative ideas, in the areas of technology, art or literature.
Saif Nasir Al-Qahtani, one of the program beneficiaries in Alkhobar and the owner of an entertainment center, said, “When I thought about starting an entertainment center, I faced difficulties getting it financed. BRJ transformed my dream into reality when they financed my project. Currently, I am generating a good income, and I have created more job opportunities for other young Saudi men.”
Huda Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, a beneficiary of the program in Dammam and the owner of a restaurant for traditional and Arabian foods, recalled: “I was popular among my relatives and friends for being a good cook. When I visited them, they wouldn't give me food, but bring in vegetables, meat and other requirements so that I could cook for them. Later, some of them began asking me to cook for their guests too. They called me Chef Huda. The income was good, so I thought about opening a restaurant, where I could really show my talent. I opened my dream restaurant. At the beginning, the income was low, but after a while I gained popularity among those who love delicious, traditional and healthy food.”
Al-Fihaid added, “In BRJ, we seek to create job opportunities for young Saudi people in cooperation with several governmental authorities, such as the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), the Saudi Credit and Saving Bank, the Ministry of Labor through its labor offices, the Social Charity Fund, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), NCB and several others that support our programs.
In 2012, BRJ created more than 58,478 job opportunities through its various programs (direct employment, training ending with employment, small projects finance, productive household, taxi ownership and truck ownership programs).