Toastmasters make strides into Saudi telecom industry with new initiative

Toastmasters is described as the world’s premier platform for communication, leadership, and public speaking skills development.

Toastmasters District 79, Saudi Arabia’s governing Toastmasters body, has entered into the Kingdom’s telecommunications and information technology.
With the inception of three new clubs in Etihad Etisalat, the UAE-based telecom conglomerate commonly known as Mobily, the development heralds a novel type of investment in the employees of the telecom industry.
Toastmasters is described as the world’s premier platform for communication, leadership, and public speaking skills development.
The first official club to be chartered for the company was named the Mobily Alsharqyah Toastmasters Club, so called for its location in the Eastern Province.
It was formed in August 2015 and saw the election of Khalid Al-Zaini as president, who said in his desire to lead the group that he hoped to nurture an improved work environment and foster a culture of innovation among the company’s personnel.
Two more clubs were then launched in Mobily’s Riyadh headquarters. Earlier in May, English and Arabic clubs were established in the capital to cater to that city’s employees.
The Arabic group was designated as Toastmasters Ihtra Club, headed by Melfi Al-Marzoqi, senior executive officer of HR for Mobily, with stated aims to refine and develop the public speaking skills of its 32 strong membership base.
The English club chose to be titled under the epithet, Never surrender Toastmasters Club, and is presided over by Bassam Al-Sowyigh, GM of talent acquisition at Mobily.
Collaborations between Toastmasters and Mobily have been abundant, including the Riyadh chapter’s founding meeting, which was attended by Toastmasters’ District 79 Director Soloman Almadi, among other senior officials of both organizations.
The gathering included a workshop and prepared speeches by both Al-Marzoqi and Al-Sowyigh as part of their first projects for their new clubs.
Mobily’s CEO Fayez Awad voiced the company’s goals.