Not so long ago, I bumped into my childhood school buddy, a Saudi. We had not seen eachother since high school and it was great to meet up and go down memory lane. With him, was one of his younger brothers. We started talking about work and my friend joked about his brother as being a lost guy who just dreams of new things that cannot be done. So I asked him. The guy was an INVENTOR! His ideas were amazing. AND PRACTICAL. From folding Goal Posts to various innovative ideas ,that we may imagine but can never really put on paper with design, this guy had some amazing solutions.
I asked him why he did not get down to marketing them and in fact CREATING his products. It would be simple enough? He pointed at his brother. He said, this guy is making fun of me. He thinks I am a loser. The whole of society will reprimand me for venturing into this. I fear mockery and defeat. This really shocked me and made me realize how RIGHT he is.
Does this society not have inventors, designers, artists and other creative people with amazing ability? Of course it does. There are so many highly talented people I know. But, why are they afraid? Why do they hold back and hide their great work? It would be a tragedy for life to pass and no one sees what they have to offer.
I know artists who have made paintings I would display ANYWHERE in the world and I am SURE that they will get great global admiration and rewards. Yet, they remain unknown.
You can walk into their house and see the amazing decorations. No, not done by a hired designer. They did it themselves. Do not believe them when they say someone else did it. Saudis are TOOOO shy when it comes to revealing their talent and ability.
I would like local Saudi businessmen and women to help me bring these people out and show the world the hidden talents and geniuses of KSA. I really would like that.
Real Talk Blog : ali shah 