RIYADH — A young Saudi has shown an aptitude to become an entrepreneur while also showing that he is not scared to do the hard work.

In his early years he worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant in Riyadh, until he turned his life around after ten years by becoming an investor in the tourism sector, in a company specialized in providing "hospitality" services for hotels.

The success story of Yahya Majrashi is due to several factors, including “ambition” and “not to surrender to the culture of shame”.

He urges young Saudis to take the opportunity to register in the Ministry of Tourism’s campaign “Your Future is Tourism” which will by the end of this year (2021) provide about 100,000 job opportunities, while considering it an important step to establish themselves in one of the most important job sectors today.

Majrashi’s struggle began after his father’s death at the age of sixteen, when he found himself responsible for taking care of his family. It was then Yahya decided to search for a job.

Yahya's attempts to seek work hit a block, as he was rejected by most of the companies, due to his young age and since he was studying in the first grade of secondary school.

This did not discourage him as he sought to combine study and work, and he used this as a motivation to prove he could do it. He intensified the search for suitable job opportunities, and he was fortunate to work in a restaurant in Riyadh "washing dishes". He earned a small salary for 9 working hours.

Recalling his journey, he said: “I cannot describe the amount of happiness that I felt when I found that job, because I needed it, and the timings were suitable, from noon till midnight.”

His ambition at that time did not go beyond anything but to continue his work and prove his efficiency. He, however, benefited from that stage in terms of learning new skills which saw the restaurant management reward him by promoting him from a "dishwashing" employee to a "receptionist".

Yahya graduated in his work and became a food presenter, and this job reflected his personal characteristics, introduced him to different cultures, and making friends. He also completed his high school studies, and continued with determination and persistence.

He submitted his resignation from the restaurant, and joined one of the private institutes with hospitality as his specialty, to sharpen his practical experience with academic study. He learned a number of specialized professional skills, such as kitchen arts, dealing with guests, and developed his ability in the use of computers and the English language.

After graduation he worked in several jobs in the hotel and tourism sector when he moved from “employee supervisor” to “assistant restaurant manager”, and then “hotel executive lounge manager”. In all his career paths he acquired new skills that supported him.

He repeatedly emphasizes, "Employment in the tourism sector is not limited to specific professions, but extends to specialized administrative and technical fields.”

So, Majrashi went from being a marketing manager to entrepreneurship in tourism, and aspires in the future to be a pioneer in the hospitality sector in the Middle East.

The Ministry of Tourism launched the "Your Future Tourism" campaign, as part of its strategy for developing human capital, which aims to develop the capabilities of male and female national cadres through various training and qualification programs, and provide them with job skills that support their obtaining the appropriate job. — SG