A Mentality to Build in Saudi Arabia

My recent trip to Saudi Arabia revealed a mentality to build - not top down so much as bottom up - by locals with the greatest stake in successful outcomes.?

I wrote here about one of the most important books I read last year. Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup, with years of data under his belt, shows that tried-and-true economic indicators are not without value. But it is when one takes the time to really unpack the happiness of a country or any organization, the real story of the state of play, future potential and risk comes to the fore.

I thought a lot about his book in my trip to Saudi Arabia last week. I intentionally chose not to go to Riyadh, which is clearly the epicenter of so much change in this country and was hosting the enormous global startup and investment gathering LEAP. I wanted, instead, to see a world beyond the tech communities I care so much about. I was invited to tour Jeddah, Taif and Al Ula and met dozens of people with very different lenses.

As I was hosted by a combination of non-profit and government sponsors, I was cautious and circumspect by what I would see. But I dug deeply, and what was shared among all I met and the new tech generations there I already know well – what I think is the other side of the coin of “happiness” – is a mentality to build.

I saw it in a young woman who after wrestling a personal tragedy decided to dedicate her life to making one of the great staples of the country, dates, into an elegant regional and hopefully global brand.

I saw it in a restaurant entrepreneur who is rolling out new concepts across Jeddah, like a market of Asian/Saudi fusion restaurants, and plans to expand across the region.

I saw it in the son of one of the leading local architects who is not only mastering centuries old traditions of astounding woods craftsmanship but creating a hub of arts and creativity to marry the latest technology and artistry to unleash a new generation of design thinkers and actors.

I saw it in several young people who won extremely competitive scholarships to go abroad to learn specific skills – in business, tourism, conservancy and more – and not for one moment considered doing anything other than bringing that training back not just to their country but often the local communities they were originally from.

I saw it in art curators hosting astounding local and regional artists articulating the experience of Mecca in the Jeddah Islamic Arts Biennale, or a beautiful and global outdoor Desert X.

I saw it in historic and architectural restoration leaders having rebuilt over one hundred of six hundred planned beautiful three hundred to one thousand year old buildings revitalizing the old city of Jeddah.

I saw it in a boutique hotel entrepreneur who has both similar commitment to emphasizing traditional beauty with the amenities with a vision to offer the best in service for visitors to explore this rapidly changing city.

I saw it in numerous women who are leaning into an opening in society they did not dream possible a few short years ago. Saudi Arabia is a country of firsts in many ways here – I spent time with literally the first woman tour guide, management consultant, head of CSR in a major Saudi institution, the director of conservation at one of the largest such initiatives in the world – some fighting for their place for decades, others recently out of university.

And these women and male colleagues were consistent in their reflections.

One young woman told me, “The minute it was announced that women can drive, all my friends instantly texted ‘this is it’ and started plotting their dreams and committing to a new future.” One young man told me: “I think when people like you visit you are impressed by the rapid infrastructure changes – roads, buildings, fancy hotels. But what you miss is all that is secondary to people. It is the talent and the idea that talent being unleashed city by city, village by village, as a priority is where the story is.” One other said to me, “This is our shot and our time – and our responsibility.”

There are now many posts and articles written about Al Ula – the home of some of the greatest Nabatean ruins and history made familiar in Jordan’s Petra, surrounded by other worldly, ancient, and unspeakably beautiful desert, mountains, and surprising greenery. Suffice it to say, it is one of the most astounding places I have ever seen (a few shots below) and one should visit as soon as possible because I have little doubt their aspiration to have two million annual visitors by 2025 is achievable.

But what struck me about this small city most of all was its mentality to build I saw bottom up. There is no doubt that the number of staggering resources and centralized attention has been essential, but from shop keepers to hotel and restaurant staff to tour guides to a global and local staff committed to expanding green agricultural land and re-introducing animal species near gone – and once massively populating the region a century ago - ?speak with one voice: “This is our time, and we are the ones to make it happen.”

And what intrigued me most is that this shift in mentality is not coming from the big cities alone, or well-intentioned global partners living tours of duty in the Kingdom – but focused with attention on the long-term commitment to bring locals as foundational to the process of change.

It is their farms that must adjust to the environmental and technological requirements in their generational approaches to agriculture and grazing. It is their shopkeepers who are learning 21st century inventory management and how to sell on and offline to a generation who regularly expects to purchase on Instagram and Snap Chat. It is their young people who will be groomed to take on new jobs and leadership in management.

After all, who has a greater stake in their community’s success than those who live there?

Shared among all – and it’s a look in the eyes as much as the words they express – is that this is their time to build. I see it in the best tech entrepreneurs globally. I see it on the ground in the countries that are in growth mode from Asia to Latin America. I pray to see it more widely distributed in my own country, seemingly so hell bent – at least in my city – to focus more on what divides us than what we can unite to build.

I asked one very accomplished executive, one of the great supports of change in Saudi society for many years, and yet also a great admirer of tradition, is there now no going back?

They paused for a long hard moment, stared at me for a long hard time, and said: “If history has taught us anything, it is that one can always go back. The best hope is in momentum and commitment. The more we focus on the very hard tasks today, the more the next generation leads and makes this their own, there lies the greatest hope.”

I respected their honesty and sober, realistic assessment. Time will tell.

But the mentality to build is there, widely and generationally alive. In it lies the greatest odds of success. Squashing it – as has happened in too many great places of opportunity too often – has its own and entirely guaranteed outcome.

Anywhere.