RIYADH, 2 March 2006 — The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has set up a Young Businessmen’s Committee in which successful businessmen teach young men how to run business and face competition.
RCCI President Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy said the launch of the committee was part of the Riyadh Chamber’s effort to prepare young Saudi businessmen for the challenges facing them from the Kingdom’s accession to the WTO. “We meet with them from time to time at RCCI and share our experience in a learning environment,” he observed.
Al-Jeraisy explained that the concept of productivity is taught as part of the training program. “It emphasizes the value of work ethics. Youths are taught to be organized and committed to their duty. They learn to win trust and appreciation of the employer.”
Asked for his advice to the Saudi youth, often the subject of critical comment, he said: “They should work hard with honesty and sincerity. There is no short cut to success. They should persevere with single-minded devotion and learn not to give up easily. They should keep updating themselves and acquire specialized knowledge.”
The RCCI chief observed: “They should be honest with their employer and customer. They should be God-fearing and bear in mind that He’s watching over you. I was inquisitive and tried to learn from everyone. They should also learn the do’s and don’ts of the trade. The man with whom I worked also influenced me. I was inspired by the teachings of the Qurán. I believe that if you do good, you will be rewarded. And if you do wrong, you will be punished. Such a firm belief automatically puts a check on what you do.”
He said that on the job front, they should work for some business house first to learn the ropes before they embark on their own business. They should gain the trust of their employer through hard work, sincerity and honesty. They should keep track of current trends and stick to commitments. They should be fair and square in their dealings and strive to come up to the expectations of their superiors. More importantly, they should get trained technically if it’s necessary for the job. Learning is a continuous process and encouraged in Islam.”
Al-Jeraisy made his remarks in an interview with “Saudi Moneyworks” magazine published from Dubai. He said: “Hard work and sincerity are the secrets of my success. At the age of 14, I started working for a businessman as a small employee, for whom I worked 14-16 hours a day in the business of buying and selling during the 1940s. Trading was a small-time business during those days. I worked for 11 years in all-three years in the beginning and eight years subsequently with a service break in between. It was a period when we used to carry on trade with Kuwait and Bahrain and sell the goods on the Saudi market. My salary then was SR20 per month, although I was not told about it.”
He said that as a young employee he earned SR720 after working for three years. “When I quit my job, the businessman asked me to come back again. I was living and sleeping in his house. During my second stint my salary was raised to SR5,000 per month. At this time around I launched the Riyadh House Establishment (RHE) in 1958. We were dealing in household goods, cutlery, chinaware, glassware and home furniture. Subsequently, I added office furniture, office machines, computer, hardware, software, and other related products to my line of business,” he added.
