Lubna S. Olayan

Congratulations on the 75th Anniversary of Abdul Latif Jameel!

It is a great milestone, one that does not just happen.  It is the result of the vision, hard work, risk taking and sacrifice of the founder, your dear father, may he rest in peace.

I know that, because we share the wonderful legacy of having founders who saw beyond the challenges and focused on the possibilities they saw instead, and then made it happen.  And, who all along the way, made it possible and better for others in their community, empowering them and supporting the development of Saudi Arabia, well before anyone coined the term CSR.

We all owe a great debt to these pioneers, who as they grew small businesses into Saudi conglomerates with international reach never lost sight of their Saudi roots and heritage, in which they took great pride.

I am sure your dear father would be so very proud to see how well his children and now his grandchildren have not only sustained his core values, but have grown the business, embraced a pioneering spirit to blaze new trails with an entrepreneurial and innovative flair and supported through a world-renowned philanthropic arm the many communities the business touches, all while remaining true to the Saudi roots from which it all grew.

It has been a great pleasure for me to have gained these insights into your values and approach to business and life firsthand through serving together on various boards. You truly embody the generous spirit of the broader organization.  So, it is not surprising that I often find myself running into someone who knows you, likes you and respects what you, Community Jameel and the other philanthropic arms are doing.

That’s a great legacy that will propel Abdul Latif Jameel into a wonderfully bright and rewarding future.

Warm regards

Lubna S. Olayan

 

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