Entrepreneur Khaled Al Kathiri

Entrepreneur Khaled Al Kathiri

Khaled Al-Kathiri is one of the ambitious young men who entered the field of entrepreneurship diligently and diligently, which made his project one of the successful and capable of development and expansion day after day. This young man is one of those who benefited from the support of the Social Development Bank through the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. The young man started his project with great energy and unprecedented ambition and studied the increasing demand for educational entertainment centers, so he decided to start work. He is the young Khaled Al-Kathiri, the owner of the Al-Jamouli World Center, and he is a resident of the city of Riyadh. Our dialogue with him monitors the idea of ​​the project, its location in the local market, and other information, so follow him with us during these lines.

Introduce yourself (a brief introduction)?

Name: Khalid bin Murshid Al Katheeri, age 39, married and father of three daughters and a son. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from King Saud University in Riyadh, and I have 16 years of work experience in the private sector.

Talk about your project

The project is the first specialized center for educational entertainment in the Kingdom, which includes a group of headquarters for practical professions through which children practice these professions in a practical way in a manner that simulates reality so that the child learns through them the importance of work, its value, and the importance of adhering to laws and regulations at work. It also aims to eliminate On the culture (disadvantage) in some professions.

How did you start your project idea and why did you choose it?

The idea of ​​the project began in the beginning of 2007 AD, as it relied on direct observation of the poor level of children's theater services provided in the Kingdom and the possibility of establishing a sophisticated children's theater through which it could be presented in proportion to the level experienced by the Saudi society. During the studies phase of this project, it became clear to us that there is a new type of Entertainment in the world, which depends on the method of simulating reality, and by expanding the research circle for the study, we reached the appropriate formula for this project, according to the awareness and culture enjoyed by new parents that work for the best for their children before the luggage.

How did you hear about the Bank financing?

At the end of 2010, I joined a short course entitled (How to Run Your Small Tourism Project) for a period of one month, which was held by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh. Financing to the Credit Bank through the General Authority for Tourism and Antiquities.

How did you apply for financing?

After sending the financing request to the Bank through the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, I followed up with the bank directly until I started the procedures from a personal interview, submitting economic feasibility studies and the accreditation committee, and then signing the contract.

How did you find this funding and how much was it?

The procedures were long, but organized in a way that essentially guarantees non-adventurism and entering into a project with uncalculated consequences, as well as disbursement procedures, etc. It is also distinguished by being a good loan without interest, which is not available in other means of financing, and the funding was 50% of the size of the seed funding for the project and Which amounts to approximately 8,000,000 riyals, eight million riyals.

Did you encounter difficulties at the beginning of launching your project? How did you manage to overcome it?

The project faced very great difficulties that were enough to stop the project, which was represented in the absence of this activity with the Riyadh Municipality. Work was done to meet the officials and invite them to visit the center during the course of the project work, for licensing purposes, and this was actually done with the tremendous efforts of His Excellency the Mayor of the Riyadh Region Eng. Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman Al-Muqbel and the Director of Community Service Department at the Municipality, Eng. Khalid bin Muhammad Al-Attiyah. There was also a general defect in the electricity system feeding the project, and it could have caused a delay in the project for more than six months, and we overcame it by providing temporary rented generators until it was completed. The problem and the rule in facing problems is to turn them into challenges and work to overcome them by proposing possible solutions, comparing the expected results of the available options, and implementing the most appropriate ones.

What is the status of your project now, and did it provide you with a satisfactory income level?

The project was able, thanks to God, then with hard work, and within a short period of time, to create a distinguished customer segment that frequents periodically, as more than 30,000 members have joined the center’s membership during the past four months, and more than 3,000 followers follow the center’s account on the social networking site Twitter, and it generates income Fixed monthly for me through a salary I receive from the center.

There are those who fear failure, how do you direct it?

Failure is a scary term, but you will not be able to overcome your fears except by facing them and knowing about the ability of God Almighty and His success is higher than any failure, just as any failure situation in life is in the future but an integral part of the strong experience that helps you to face life.

What word would you like to direct to young people, especially those who are about to enter the world of finance and business?

The world of business and finance is a long road full of obstacles and difficulties, and there is no comfortable work. Therefore, trust in God first and then perseverance to achieve success is the basis for helping it. I also find it necessary to remind my young brothers that the loans granted by government financing agencies are the original rights of prospective borrowers in Therefore, we must make sure to fulfill them in order to give our other young brothers the opportunity to achieve their goals.

What would you like to say to the bank?

I extend my sincere thanks to the Bank for what it provided in order to achieve my goal, and I especially thank His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hunaishel, General Manager of the Bank, who honored us with a surprise visit to the center and touched our needs closely, and this shows his keenness to follow up on the work of the bank itself. I also thank Mr. Hamad bin Khudair and Mr. Badr Al-Bati for their efforts to obtain financing.

Which is better for you, the job or the self-employment?

Of course, without hesitation, self-employment, because you strive to achieve your livelihood.

What are your future ambitions in your project?

He is currently working on evaluating the stage, and to achieve a distinguished level of competition, we are looking for distinctive sites to enhance expansion plans, and God is the Grantor of success,,,