PREFACE
Once, while I was reflecting on my past experiences and gathering my thoughts on paper, my youngest son, Salman, asked me: “What are you writing, father?” I replied : “I am writing a memoir about what I have accomplished or, at least, tried to accomplish in life. I hope this will help me to give something back and serve my country and its people – even if just through thinking and writing.” Through Allah’s grace, the five stages of my life have all been knowledge -oriented. I owe this to Allah, my family and upbringing, and the teachers who instilled this drive in me. Schooling is essential for those whom Allah has provided with a supportive environment and the direction needed to stimulate their desire for learning and self-improvement. It is in grade school that the seeds of learning are first planted. These seeds sprout and flower at college and mature once one specializes in a specific field, thanks to research and development. It is at this stage that one’s character, interests , and position in the world take shape. A person’s character is built on and shaped by the knowledge accumulated over the course of their lifetime. It prepares them to embark on the stage in their lives, in which they give back. Luck plays a role in this equation as well, as one has to have the right level of desire to achieve this. Herein lies the formula for success that has allowed me to give something back and innovate in my fields. The course of my early life stood in stark contrast to the stage that my country was going through towards the end of the 1970s, which was defined by the vast accumulation of wealth and preoccupation with institutions, merging government agencies, and fierce competition in the business industry. Everyone was concerned about quantity over quality. My engagement in business was defined by convictions that prioritized the delivery of quality projects and long-term strategy over making quick profits and market supply. It was in this context that the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz – may his soul rest in peace – chose me for government work. This milestone transformed my entrepreneurial experience into something that went far beyond quick profits and personal wealth accumulation. I was now working in line with my belief that serving the nation and giving back without any expectation of personal gains is the highest and most noble goal in life. Building, developing, and investing in the nation’s most valuable asset – its youth and future generations – are the goals that I have, hopefully, fulfilled through my service to my country, even if just a little, in response to the honor and positions I was given. Harnessing potential to motivate people to create a community that yearns to learn and develop a knowledge-based economy are needed to build up our capabilities, potential, and creative outputs. Indeed, managing our resources and human willpower is the path to achieving success and prosperity.
Faissal bin Abdullah Riyadh, March 2018
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