Thursday 16 / May / 2024
The Arab region has produced many great minds, whose contributions have made a marked difference not only in our society but the world at large. These contributions go back centuries, to what was known as the Islamic Golden Age - a time when Muslims, many of whom hailed from Arab nations, were actively involved in advancements in a variety of disciplines ranging from philosophy to mathematics, natural and medical sciences to engineering, and commerce to education.
While we certainly must cherish past successes as a definitive component of our cultural identity and heritage, I believe we need to increase our understanding and awareness about the great minds that exist in contemporary Arab society.
My personal belief in the limitless possibilities of the Arab mind has only strengthened in recent years, as I have encountered some exemplary individuals who have produced thoroughly impressive bodies of work - demonstrating creativity in their ideas, acquiring the right education and training and working to fulfil their dreams.
However, we need to enhance our efforts to encourage these capable individuals through highlighting their achievements and possibly enabling their access to resources that will further their cause. By bringing their success stories center-stage, we will not only boost them as valuable members of our society and facilitate their growth, but also inspire other bright minds to pursue their calling and help unlock the next phase of socio-economic progress in the region.
For this very reason I have dedicated a large portion of my personal time in the past two years to learn about and connect with talented young Arabs who have established themselves in their home countries and in their professional spaces. My fascinating journey has opened my eyes to the true potential our people hold. I have spoken extensively to 11 noteworthy individuals and shared their success stories in my recently published book, Arabs Unseen for the world to understand their calibre and that of the Arabs in general.
These enlightening tales reflect the diversity and richness of our region, as the featured individuals hail from a variety of professional sectors, countries, socio-economic backgrounds and walks of life. However, each of them has leveraged certain core ingredients that are critical to any exceptional success story.
All inspiring stories begin with a single idea or interest. We often find that an interest or commitment to a road less traveled, can lead to truly valuable concepts. For instance, one of the Omani candidates I featured, the impressive Tariq Al Barwani is responsible for Knowledge Oman, our first online portal dedicated to sharing knowledge, connecting Omani nationals and expatriates across different areas of expertise. His project was initially launched as a forum nearly a decade ago but has since grown tremendously and is today a ready reckoner on Oman – it has partnered with various organizations including the American Embassy in Oman, collaborating to strengthen Omani youth.
In the past our younger generations were encouraged to pursue traditional career paths - to acquire education in reliable disciplines and follow that up with a job or a position in a family business. Although these are excellent career options for most individuals, we must as a society remain open to encouraging innovation. This may involve youngsters stepping away from traditional roles to shape distinctive projects.
A continued stress on education is just as important in driving out-of-the-box thinking. We must support younger generations in acquiring as much knowledge as possible outside of their academic curricula to help broaden their thinking. In doing so, we will set in motion fresh ideas to shape worthwhile projects. This in turn will allow us as a region to diversify our interests and witness greater socio-economic progress.
In my many years of studying human nature, I have come to realise that perseverance as a trait should be instilled in our youth - success never comes easy and is fleeting, at best. It can take years, even decades of hard work, commitment and belief in oneself and the concerned cause to realize the fruit of one’s efforts. This is a message that has been reiterated through the fascinating stories outlined in Arabs Unseen.
Although the Arab region has seen some trying times lately, we must equally remember the plethora of bright minds that exist among us and help in any way we can to hone their skills and abilities. I believe the time is now right to effectively channelize our resources to let the stars of Arab society shine and pave the way for greater, more significant milestones.
- The author is the Chairman of National Bank of Oman, Executive Chairman of Investcorp and an International Advisor to the Brookings Instituition. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman
