Princess Hala Al-Saud: A short and sweet success story

She began her career with a government job, but being unsatisfied with it, she decided to have another source of income. And her journey in doing so was short and sweet. With ‘Munch Bakery,’ she created a global brand.
We are talking about the brilliant businesswoman Princess Hala bint Mishari Al-Saud, who counts self-confidence, courage and ambition as the driving force behind her success.
She said family is the primary motivation for success in public life.
“Success increases with the increased faith of the family in the aspirations of the children,” Princess Hala said. She is the only daughter in the family and her mother encouraged her constantly, which made her take steps with confidence and helped her acquire multiple language skills. She was always encouraged by her mother to master foreign languages, and she stood beside her when Princess Hala intended to complete her education in the United States after graduating from college. She did her majors in psychology.
Unsatisfied with her job after returning from abroad, Princess Hala considered starting a business of her own. “The business idea came about in 2007 when we conducted a questionnaire for pastry shops, especially cupcake shops, in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. This was followed by studying a simple feasibility report for the project. Through our study of the market, we knew what the project needed.”
The result of all the hard work was ‘Munch Bakery’. Princess Hala said she chose this field because she wanted to introduce a new, distinctive service comparable to that in the Western countries.
“Saudi women are ambitious and only need more persistence and patience, may be even a higher level of confidence and prestige in the Saudi market to prove their presence in the field of investment and to make their own mark recognized by the world as a whole and not just Saudi society. With the help of Chambers of commerce and other major associations in the Kingdom, Saudi women can advance in the field of investment,” said Princess Hala.
“I, of course, believe in the saying ‘Give the bread to its baker.’ I am not an experienced person in the field of baking and therefore, it was necessary for me to rely on specialists and people I trust,” she added.
She said getting the appropriate location for the opening of the bakery’s first branch was the most difficult choice. “Then came the licenses, which is a problem in terms of the delays caused by the procedure in obtaining it. And finally, we were faced with another major obstacle as workers who we trained started leaving the jobs because of other opportunities,” Princess Hala said.
“We rely on local and international recipes but use all tried and tested ingredients and everything is freshly served,” she added.
The entrepreneur initially used print media and a number of events to publicize the bakery. She then used social media that enabled her to reach a larger number of people.
According to Princess Hala, there are many investment opportunities awaiting young Saudi women and they can make a mark in any field.
“There is a long road in front of me and I aspire to create a specialized center for people with special needs,” she said.

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