Saleh Al-Turki, a leading name in the business world, is currently the chairman of the board of NESMA Holding Company, NESMA and Partners Contracting Company, NAMMA Group of Companies for Trade, Industry and Maritime Services, Mawaddah International Group for Hotel and Umrah Services and Jeddah Holding Company.
He also participated in the development of the business world when he was CEO of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as vice chairman of the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries.
Al-Turki is very optimistic about the future of the Kingdom. He believes the country is full of resources and open to any new initiatives. Al-Turki talked to Arab News about the importance of women empowerment, boosting the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector to create jobs, developing education and housing projects, as well as improving the Kingdom’s infrastructure.
Full text of the interview:
Rapid changes
What, in your opinion, are changes that could have a major impact on the lives of Saudis within the next 20 years?
It is difficult to anticipate the amount of changes that will happen during the coming 20 years. However, there is no doubt that many changes will occur in the Saudi society due to several elements, such as economic and social elements in addition to governmental decisions. The most important change from my point of view is the way Saudi citizens view work. Many young Saudis used to refuse to work in several professions they considered shameful. Now, the government has a new trend toward developing the Saudi character and change its concepts. We are expecting a mature generation that understands the changes and welcomes challenges. Saudis will agree to work as carpenters, mechanics, plumbers, etc. These changes would happen for social and financial reasons. Today, in NESMA, we are coping with these changes by reducing the reliance on expatriate workers. In the past, we depended on well-qualified expatriate workers, but today their salaries have increased, so we are looking to replace them with qualified Saudi nationals. This is why we are focusing on training. In the future, companies will not be able to bring foreign workers due to a hike in salaries. We also turned the employee relation department into a human resources department, so HR could launch training programs and workshops for the staff.
Leadership factors
What do you think of the roles of leaders in organizations? What explains their current state?
Leaders in each sector have to be qualified, educated and looking to change. When we talk about characteristics, I prefer to make a distinction between ownership and leadership. There is no necessity to hire a manager or leader because he is the job owner or one of the owner’s relatives. Only qualified, educated, and talented professionals should lead organizations. This is one of the factors that have to be set for the coming few years.
Challenging tasks
What are the most difficult plans that need to be applied in the Kingdom within the coming 20 years?
Today, any country has to focus on economic and social stability. Developing the society will be achieved through facilitating the citizen’s lifestyle. In the Kingdom, we have many challenges. We need to make actual steps to develop infrastructure such as airports, internal and general transportation, water system, and land prices. The second plan must solve traffic problems, as the smoothness of traffic is a sign of the country’s development. Complicated traffic movement could reduce the citizens’ productivity. The third plan that must be implemented is reducing the reliance on governmental financial aids. The Kingdom loses a huge amount of money by selling 2.5 million barrels of oil for local prices to present financial aid.
Creative project
Can you give an example of a creative project you’d like to establish in the Kingdom?
For many years I had been thinking about establishing NESMA. Today, I believe that NESMA Holding Company is a dream. It allows me to make a difference in the real estate sector, corporate social responsibility, tourism and hospitality. The biggest dream I achieved was the government choosing NESMA to implement the storm water drainage projects in Jeddah. The market in the Kingdom is open, and every dreamer can achieve his dreams.
KSA in three words
Which three words would you use to describe the Kingdom in 20 years and why?
Strong economy, strong education, and perfect health care are the three key terms that describe the Kingdom within 20 years. The economy is the first factor that changes the citizens’ life. I hope to see a strong country in terms of infrastructure, education and health.
Human rights
How can we all improve human rights in Saudi Arabia? And what are your expectations regarding human right practices in the future?
There are many issues that will never cease in society, including the problem of child abuse. On the other hand, I am expecting progress in the rights of expatriate workers, such as in the mistreatment of maids. The government is currently trying to ensure the rights of maids by developing the judicial system and opening the discussion on expatriate workers’ rights in the media.
Biggest challenge
What is the biggest challenge facing the Kingdom today?
The biggest challenge is the empowerment of women and allowing them to work in all sectors without restrictions. The discussion whether it is a woman’s right to work or not is unacceptable today. Opening up the work environment for women has become a necessity, but such step needs many preparations. It requires the creation of a special work environment that offers facilities like easy transportation and the establishment of nursery schools besides increasing the salaries for women. Actually, I expect women’s salary to rise as soon as the demand for Saudi workingwomen increases. We cannot allow women to start working in all sectors tomorrow.
Prominent activities
What are the most prominent economic activities in the Kingdom, and what are the ‘neglected’ sectors that need to be developed?
I believe the aviation sector needs to be developed. This sector has been neglected due to the Kingdom’s rules. In general, the transportation sector has been neglected and needs to be opened for investors. This includes sea, aviation, and road transportation. We just established NESMA airlines, which takes travelers to Egypt. We are still waiting for the Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, to facilitate investments in these projects. The real estate sector, on the other side, is the most prominent sector in the Kingdom and doesn’t need more contributions.
Housing growth
There is a huge demand for housing in the Kingdom because of the rising young population. The government gives special importance to this sector and has allocated SR250 billion in the budget for housing. Do you believe the housing sector needs this much attention from the government and private sector?
The establishment of a Ministry of Housing, which has to implement housing projects with a specific deadline, has been a great step. Owning a house is a necessity for each citizen. I think there are many initiatives that help citizens to own a house, such as the housing project, real estate loans, and banks loans. Despite these initiatives, owning a house in the Kingdom is still difficult. I hope this problem will be solved within the coming decades, but I think this will be difficult.
Role of SMEs
There is a need to boost the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector in the Kingdom, as it creates various jobs. What role do you see for SMEs in the country’s economic development?
The SME sector is still not very developed, because we don’t have enough courage to do these projects. In addition, there is no sector that encourages and sponsors these projects. We made a small start with banks and some companies trying to support SMEs. They are the future: In America, they depend on them and call them ‘entrepreneurs.’ We cannot offer job opportunities for all unemployed people, but we can create work opportunities. Here, we notice that both the government and private sector have to join hands to develop this sector, although the government should be leading.
Knowledge hunt
Education has always been a priority of the Saudi government. What changes do you envisage in the education system to fit Saudi youth in a knowledge-based economy?
Education in Saudi Arabia is being developed now by adapting the curriculum, and I think the changes will be clear within five years. However, when we talk about academic education, it is necessary to continue having scholarships, but the most important step is to reduce the number of students who are joining local universities. Saudi universities each year are generating too many students, who cannot find job opportunities. To solve this problem, we need to direct Saudi youth toward studying in institutions. Then we want the government to link the Saudi market with the universities, so the universities can generate students in rare qualifications the Saudi market needs.
Fair opportunities
How do you see Saudi women’s contribution to the labor sector and political arena within the coming 20 years?
I don’t see any difference between women and men. Both of them have to work in all sectors. I don’t ask women to increase their effort in order to make a mark. I prefer women to work as much as men, as I am looking to achieve equality between them. When we talk about the role of women in business, we are expecting a lot. We also have high expectations about women’s influential contribution to politics, especially after the announcement to allow women to vote in council elections and take part in the next Shoura Council.
Women’s tasks
What should Saudi women do in order to fulfill your future vision?
I know women are as serious as men in their jobs. I refuse to put all blame on Saudi women, saying they will not be able to participate successfully in politics or business.
Press matters
What measures and standards are yet to be applied to Saudi media? What are your future expectations?
I think that social media reflects the diversity of the society, and it’s not acceptable to put standards on this and control who can join or what to write. I think the role of social media will continue to increase, and both social and traditional media will compete with each other.
Citizens’ views
What impact will social media have regarding change in the Kingdom?
Social media allows Saudis to interact with people from other nationalities, including Westerners. This helps us to exchange culture and information. Social media helps citizens express their opinions.
New media
What impact has social media regarding the Kingdom’s traditional media?
Social media will never affect the traditional media. The traditional media are considered well organized and a source of knowledge. Through traditional media, a person can get accurate information from its source. There is no doubt that social media are attracting a large number of people, as it is very fast in giving information, but it needs to be more organized.
Learning from past
What are some of the mistakes that have been repeated in the Kingdom for the past decade? And how could we eliminate these mistakes in order to develop the country?
Mistakes are available everywhere, but admitting mistakes is the first step toward learning and correcting them. One of the major mistakes we have witnessed were the Jeddah floods. The government took its lesson and decided to prepare a special plan for the development of Jeddah infrastructure. Full change and development will never be done perfectly unless the society contributes in helping the government.
Message to youth
Given that youth make up the majority of the Saudi population, what message would you want to convey to them? And what else would you say to the rest of the population?
All of us are Saudis. There is no priority given to one rather than the other. Our country is full of sources. What we all need is to think and work hard.
