Enji A. Al-Ghazzawi: Quality time spent with family is sacred. This is a lesson my parents taught me from an early age. I was an only daughter, sandwiched between two brothers; my father is an employee of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and my mother, a strong woman, strived to complete her education and degree with three children in tow.
The first lesson we were taught was to never prioritize anything over family; work was important, indeed essential, but family must always precede it.
I was raised as an equal to my brothers, and our parents believed we could accomplish anything we set our hearts to. What mattered, in order to achieve, was a readiness to learn. Growth, they taught us, required us to grab opportunities and not compromise our ethics. It was a life lesson I have clung to in my 20-year career at Riyadh Bank.
Starting off as a translator, I rotated around various departments, gradually gaining more experience. I was hooked, and it gave me the inspiration to drive my way up the company.
I jotted down four words on a note, “Executive Vice President of Operations” (EVP), the visual representation of the role I wanted to achieve, and kept it with me.
Without the drive instilled by my parents, my family’s support and the opportunities afforded to me by Riyadh Bank, I would never have reached it. For 12 years I worked in the operations department, before moving to corporate services, and eventually becoming the EVP of operations four years ago.
My own success is not my only motivation, though. Throughout my career, I made a point of supporting and mentoring fellow Riyadh Bank employees on their own career journeys. Pushing them to gain the right skills and to grow in the organization was a personal goal of mine; I wanted them to achieve their dreams too. To see a young generation reach their potential, to see their happiness and to know I had played a part, was as satisfying to me as seeing the joy of my own children reach theirs.
Despite this, my parents’ mantra, that work is important but family comes first, has stuck with me. Just before my marriage, my mother advised me to always prioritize my family over anything else. “You will be accountable before God for your family,” she said. “Always strive to temper your ambition; happiness will strike the right balance between both.”
My children are my best friends and my pride and joy. My eldest son Faisal is a medical student, and my daughter Lana, though only in 10th grade, is a pillar of support, alongside my husband. We both believe in leading by example, and while raising our children, we hope to install in them the same work and moral ethics our parents gave us.
TheFace: Enji A. Al-Ghazzawi, Executive Vice President of Operations, Riyadh Bank
TheFace: Enji A. Al-Ghazzawi, Executive Vice President of Operations, Riyadh Bank
- The first lesson we were taught was to never prioritize anything over family; work was important, indeed essential, but family must always precede it
Saudi tourism minister urges governments to ease travel barriers amid global tensions
- Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb said visa restrictions and connectivity were major hurdles disrupting global movement, urging more frequent flights to smaller destinations
- Panel examined key challenges facing the $10 trillion global travel industry, including rising geopolitical tensions, climate volatility, artificial intelligence and growing cyber risks
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, has said travel should be made more accessible and flexible as it fosters dialogue and peace at a time when geopolitical tensions are prompting governments to impose stricter visa restrictions.
He was speaking during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, which examined the key challenges facing the $10 trillion global travel industry. These include rising geopolitical tensions, climate volatility, artificial intelligence and growing cyber risks.
“Tourism brings peace at a time where everybody wants to hear about peace. It connects people, encourages dialogue, creates economies, and serves smaller economies like Africa, Latin America, the Pacific and the Caribbean countries,” said Al-Khateeb.
His remarks come as the US has tightened visa and immigration policies, affecting nationals from dozens of countries, and as anti-tourism protests have surfaced in parts of Europe amid mounting concerns over overtourism in major destinations.
He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s achievements in tourism, saying the sector has created 250,000 jobs in the last five years and boosted female participation to 47 percent, exceeding the global average of 45 percent. He highlighted the Kingdom’s focus on building new airports and expanding existing ones, as well as boosting the hotel sector to cater for 150 million travelers by 2030.
The sector’s contribution to the economy has grown from about 3 percent in 2020 to 5 percent today, with plans to raise that figure to between 8 and 10 percent by 2030.
With travel and tourism accounting for around 10 percent of global GDP, Al-Khateeb said that raising the sector’s contribution in Saudi Arabia would strengthen the Kingdom’s economy, make it more resilient and sustainable, and “allow us to share our beautiful culture with the world.”
He said visa restrictions and connectivity were major hurdles disrupting global movement, urging more frequent flights to smaller destinations to diversify traveler experiences and expand economies beyond major hubs.
With panelists citing last year’s anti-tourism protests in Spain and Mexico, Al-Khateeb said overtourism, already a challenge in some cities, will worsen as the UN projects an increase in the number of global travelers from 1.5 billion to 2 billion by 2050. He therefore urged governments to promote smaller cities and spread tourism beyond traditional hotspots to boost economic growth and create more jobs.
Expressing similar sentiments, Martin Eurnekian, CEO of Corporacion America International, linked economic growth to travel and said travel deregulation in the past had boosted European economies.
“Our history shows when growth was accelerated and these were the cases where the (travel) industry was set free,” said Eurnekian, adding geopolitical tensions and economic regulations were exacting a heavy cost on the industry.
“This is an industry based on freedom and globalization and if we lose sight of that we can really hurt the industry,” he added.
Cara Morton, CEO of global businesses and operations and a member of the executive committee at Zurich Insurance Group, said “disruption is now the norm,” citing an in-house assessment that found 80 percent of 4,000 business travelers experienced some form of disruption during their journeys.
She highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in steering people to new, less crowded destinations: “Obviously that will require governments to then make sure that those places have got the right infrastructure, but we will be able to see wealth distributed more equally. So the key is how we use AI in this area.”
Al-Khateeb said that while AI can enhance traveler experience, it should not replace human interaction.
“We will use tech when it isn’t necessary … such as using AI (for passengers to) move fast and finish their biometrics, but when you go to destination, you want to be served by humans not machines.”
He highlighted global travel trends, including the growing role of airports as destinations in their own right, driven by retail and food and beverage offerings, as well as the rapid rise of wellness tourism.
“Travel interacts with a wide range of sectors from aviation and airports to mobility, transportation, hotels, retail, and entertainment,” said Al-Khateeb.
