Fifteen

“Is there a doctor on the plane?” I heard in my semi-conscious state of slumber. No sooner did we hear the announcement, Basmaa Ali (MBA ’08) was rushing to the front of the plane to save the day.  “Oh it was nothing,” she said modestly when we arrived in Bahrain. Apparently, Sloanies like Basmaa are making a difference all over the world. Take Faisal Al-Ibrahim (MBA ’09), for instance. He single-handedly organized and led a group of 21 students along with Professor and Mrs. Peter Kurzina in an incredible journey to his home country of Saudi Arabia, where we were given a red-carpet welcome during our Spring Break adventure. Our visit included meeting top business and community leaders  (and royalty!) who greeted us with Arabic coffee and dates, a warm welcome and an invitation to ask probing questions about this often misrepresented, and ever-evolving country full of hospitable people and rich culture.

Some of the highlights of the trip included the marvelous sites that we saw:

Located in the heart of the Empty Quarter, Shaybah is a study in sinuous red sand dunes with sparingly sprinkled mint green scrub. Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest National Oil Company, has mined extra light sweet Saudi crude from Shaybah since 1997 when a construction megaproject was used to move 30 million cubic meters of sand to connect two Sabkhas; sand free salt flats in the middle of sand dunes. At dusk the peaches and oranges of the setting sun contrast with the crescent shadows cast by the dunes. Synchronous with the exit of the last of the golden sun, the call to prayer could be heard from the mosque at Shaybah.

In Jeddah, a port town on the Western coast and the crossroads to Mecca, we were awed by the international feel of the city and the progressive mindset that pervaded its citizens. We spent the day swimming in the Red Sea and then enjoyed a traditional seafood dinner in one of Jeddah’s famous restaurants.

In Riyadh we learned more about the Islam and how it has been intertwined with the history and traditions of the Kingdom. We visited the King Abdulaziz Historical Center, National Museum and King Abdulaziz’s Palace.

Other highlights of the trip were the wonderful people that we met:

At the Sunset Beach Resort Khobar, we met with His Royal Highness Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Al Saud, co-founder of the Saudi Global Exchange Program that facilitated treks to the Kingdom in the past, and his wife Her Royal Highness Princess Nouf Bint Miteb Bin Abdullah Al Saud. In our meeting, the royal couple discussed issues related to government, education, and life in Saudi Arabia. They also engaged us in a Q&A session that included topics ranging from the future of the country to their own personal dreams.

In Dhahran, we were graciously hosted by Saudi Aramco. We enjoyed a lunch with the Senior VP of Finance, Mr. Abdullatif Al-Othman (SF ’98), with whom we discussed such issues as the future of the world’s energy and Saudi Aramco’s financial practices. We also met with His Excellency Dr. Khaled Al-Sultan, Rector of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and discussed education in the Kingdom and the future plans of what is considered the country’s leading educational institution.

In Jeddah, we were given a presentation by Mr. Khaled Al-Shaikh, the Chief Economist at the National Commercial Bank (NCB), about the economy of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Region. We visited Dar Al-Hekma College for girls and sat through a lecture given by faculty from the Fletcher School at Tufts.

In Riyadh, the capital and economic center of Saudi Arabia, we were introduced to the lead government official responsible for the economic development and reform of the Kingdom and Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA); His Excellency Mr. Amr Al-Dabbagh. At SAGIA we participated in a roundtable discussion about the future plans of the Economic Cities being constructed all over the Kingdom. We also sat through a presentation about the Kingdom’s plans to become one of the top ten most competitive economies by 2010, also known as the 10 by 10 plan, by Omar Al-Madhi (MBA ’07). In Riyadh, we also had the opportunity to meet members of the Harley Davidson Owners Group and the Managing Director of Harley-Davidson Riyadh Mr. Marwan Al-Mutlaq, visit their headquarters, and learn more about the group’s history, their contributions to the community, and their local and international activities.

We were introduced to several budding entrepreneurs.  These included Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Naim (SM ’03), who co-founded Otacuschez Café with his wife Mrs. Hanaa Al-Moaibed, and Mr. Wassim Al-Khatib, who founded Modern Lifestyles, a high-end entertainment system purveyor and installation service.  From them we gained insight into the unique opportunities that are available to entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia, and the challenges that they have faced.

Each night, we were welcomed into the homes of Faisal’s friends and family, served dishes of fish, lamb, tabbouleh, hummus, and many other Middle Eastern specialties (we ate like kings!) and treated as though we were family.  Faisal, who I had known prior to our trip as a quiet, soft-spoken fellow member of the Pacific Ocean, turned out to be an animated, hilarious and anything-but-quiet guy once he is around his childhood friends and cousins Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, a Saudi-US relations expert, and Abdulrahman Tarbzouni, an MIT Course 6 graduate student, who both co-organized several events.

Overall, our group left Saudi Arabia with a more enlightened image of the Kingdom, its values, and its generous people. During our visit, community and business leaders explained how changes are occurring on the political, social, and economic fronts. Many of the aspects viewed negatively by the Western world, such as gender segregation, are remnants of cultural traditions, and are slowly evolving. For the society to thrive, they recognize that women need to be given equal opportunities in education and in the workplace. We saw evidence of these changes, by meeting educated, accomplished women who are running women’s colleges, managing their own businesses, or working as petroleum engineers at Saudi Aramco.

Finally, and most importantly, we learned that Saudi Arabia is opening its doors to the rest of the world, eager to share their country and culture. Of course, many of the people that we met were from the privileged classes of society, had obtained higher education, and were well-travelled (and surprisingly all seemed to have accounts on Facebook!). Nevertheless, we felt like we got a real taste of what Saudi Arabia is all about.