RIYADH, 2 August 2004 — A young Saudi studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will inspire the launch of an organization that will help place talented Saudis in a research environment in reputable institutions in the United States.
Arab News interviewed him on his return from MIT to Riyadh for his annual vacation. Abdul Rahman Tarabzouni had secured admission to the prestigious research institute on the strength of his brilliant academic track record that saw him recruited by Saudi Aramco as the youngest member of its think tank to lead a team of gifted students under Aramco’s Innovation Year program in the year 2002. He was also nominated to represent the Kingdom in its first ever participation in the International Informatics Olympiads last year.
The whole thrust of his program is to get the West interested in funding innovative projects in Saudi Arabia, with technical leadership coming from talented Saudis.
Known as Saudi Entrepreneurs and Technology Leaders Association (SETLA), the proposed association would act as a vehicle for promoting entrepreneurship and technical skills among Saudis, Tarabzouni said.
Saudi society, he pointed out, has all along been a consumer society. It was time to convert it into a producer of high technology goods and services. To this end, Tarabzouni has prepared the blueprint of SETLA which he hopes to present to Crown Prince Abdullah. He is also planning to contact Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal and Muhammad Abdul Latif Jameel, who is himself an MIT graduate and an ardent supporter of philanthropic projects.
Tarabzouni said the Kingdom needs a pool of high-caliber Saudis who could encourage others to excel in science and technology for developing a scientific environment in the country. “I feel sorry to see young Saudis who are wasting time smoking sheesha and watching soccer. I used to do a lot of general reading during my spare time. One of the books that inspired me was ‘The Road Ahead’ by Bill Gates. There he mentions how he started from mediocrity to rise to the top rungs of the ladder of success through hard work and a clear vision.”
Tarabzouni won admission to the MIT thanks to his scholastic record at the exclusive Dar Assalam Private School, his research experience at Saudi Aramco and Saudi Computer Society. He also contributed to the Kingdom’s National IT Plan forum.
“Studying at MIT has been described as drinking from a fire hose. If you miss your class for a day, you lag behind others,” he pointed out.
He described it as a top-notch academic-cum-research institution. He said he had the good fortune to study under Nobel laureates. “There are dozens of Nobel laureates at MIT, where they attach a lot of emphasis on research and studies.”
Earlier, as a gifted student, he sat on the board of Saudi Aramco Innovation Think Tank comprising VIPs, executives and senior staff. The body advises the CEO on how to foster creative thinking and innovative ideas in Saudi Aramco, which in turn could act as a catalyst for change in the country.
He was also chosen as the best gifted student in the Kingdom for 2002 in a King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals program.
Currently he is working in a startup company called FreeWebs for free “to hone my entrepreneurship skills. I plan to get more experience and start a Saudi entrepreneurship center here to attract talented persons,” he said, adding: “All this is in preparation for my dream project, SETLA, that could really make a big difference in terms of promoting scientific research in the Kingdom.”
