Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — An enterprising executive of a multinational company can set an example of a dedicated and selfless social worker, shouldering community empowerment initiatives all through his life as an expatriate for over three and a half decades, and the living proof is K.C. Abdul Rahman.

Abdul Rahman, popularly known as ‘KC’ and from the southern Indian state of Kerala, has set an example of combining dedication in work and in social work to excel in both. After proving his prowess as a dynamic community leader who rendered services in a wide range of areas, KC has left for India for good with fond memories and leaving a legacy of 37-year-long outstanding career record.

The Keralite community gave him a befitting farewell party last week. More than 500 community members and leaders attended the farewell function and iftar party organized by the Jeddah Indian Association in cooperation with the Malappuram and Thrissur district committees of Overseas Indian Cultural Congress (OICC), an overseas wing of the Indian Congress party.

Abdul Majeed Naha, president of Indian Association, presided over the function, which was inaugurated by senior OICC leader A.P Kunhali Haji. Those who spoke on the occasion included Alungal Mohammed, president of Abeer Medical Group, Nissar Syed, managing director of the Dubai-based Asia Vision Advertising & Events, K.P Mohammedkutty, president of the Saudi national committee of Kerala Muslim Cultural Center, V.K.A. Rauf, patron of Navodaya Cultural Forum, Gopi Nedungadi, Hifzurahman, Abbas Chemban, Sadiqali Thuvvur, Basheer Vallikkunnu, K.T.A Muneer, Abdurahman Kavungal, C.M. Ahmed and Shareef Arakkal. The speakers dealt at length about the outstanding contributions rendered by KC to the Indian community. Several organizations honored him with mementos. President of Malappuram district OICC Hakeem Parakkal welcomed the gathering while General Secretary Sakeer Ali Kanneth proposed the vote of thanks.

Speaking to Saudi Gazette, KC recalled sweet memories of leading an eventful life in Jeddah. “I landed at Jeddah’s old airport on Feb. 21, 1981 and my travel from India was on board the maiden flight to Jeddah from Mumbai on the opening day of the new airport terminal. Two months after my arrival, precisely in the last week of May 1981, the King Abdulaziz International Airport, constructed about 20 km north of the city, was opened for service,” he said adding, “my farewell journey also happens in the last week of another May, which witnessed the soft opening of the new Jeddah airport.”

KC retired from service as procurement manager of Unilever Saudi Arabia. During his 27-year-long stint in Unilever, he had served the company in managerial positions in a wide range of production planning, materials planning, logistics, customer service, supplier development and sourcing. His jurisdiction of duty included not only Saudi Arabia but also Iran, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Ghana and some other African countries. This gave him immense opportunities to travel frequently to nearly two dozen countries in Asia, Europe and Africa as part of official duty. KC also attended several international training programs in addition to doing certification courses from the premier institutions such as American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS) and European Institute of Purchasing Management. He was also instrumental in taking up a host of corporate social responsibility projects.

“I still recall the day when I joined the Unilever Company, which helped me scale ladders of professional excellence and brought all fortunes to my life. It was on Sept. 23 1990, on which day falls the Kingdom’s National Day, I joined Unilever. It was a few weeks after the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and the timing of getting a brilliant job was incredible for me as it happened at a time when anxiety and tension prevailed in the region as a whole following the Kuwait incident. “Interestingly, I was also a victim of the fallout of the Kuwait invasion as I lost my job at a British-based company in Jeddah where I worked for about 10 years earlier,” he recalled.

KC also left a rich legacy of social work and community services for over three decades in Jeddah. He had held several key positions of a number of organizations and forums. These included chairman of Saudi India Travelers Association (SIATA), vice president of western regional committee of OICC, chairman of the Jeddah chapter of Rajeev Youth Foundation, chairman of Muhammad Abdurahman Sahib Memorial Symposium Committee, deputy director of SIGN Jeddah chapter, general convener of Jeddah chapter of Kunnumpuram Pain and Palliative Care Center, general secretary of Kunnumpuram Cheppiyalam Mahallu Muslim Jamaat, chairman of Priyadarshini Art and Sports Forum, treasurer of PSMO College Alumni Association and convener of Readers’ Group.

Ruqiya is his wife. The couple has five children: Fayiz (Jeddah), Hisham, Salwa (Oman), Mahmoud and Raed.