Building on the Shaybah Café success of March, 2004, the Gulf Society for Organizational Learning (Gulf SoL) seized the momentum and scheduled the Hawar Dialogue for September, 2004, the inaugural event of Gulf SoL.

Held at the historically significant tiny Island called Hawar, meaning 'Baby Camel,' the event was designed to explore future possibilities for the Gulf Region by enlightening guests about current economic and demographic challenges. Within this context were 100 invited guests that included executives from several key multi-national corporations and leaders from business, industry, and education – all having a stake in local development.

The timing and location for the event proved to be perfect. Most of us were still fresh from our summer break. And meeting on Hawar—-a symbol of the power of dialogue over conflict—set the stage for deep discussion.
The Hawar Dialogue was the inaugural event of Gulf SoL. One of the core purposes of the society is to promote dialogue across different sectors of society and to improve our capacity to learn together. We needed to understand where we have been, where we are, and then we can decide where we want to go.

One of the core purposes of the Society of Learning is to promote dialogue across different sectors of society and to improve our capacity to learn together. We, therefore, need to understand where we have been, where we are, and then we can decide where we want to go.

Guests and participants converged from many places to board a cruise ship at Manama Port and headed for The Hawar Island. The three-hour journey went by so fast, for we were immersed in deep discussion based on our caravan grouping of 7 individuals who were asked to answer 5 questions:

1. What brings you to this session? It could be something; in your life, in your organization, in your country, etc.

2. What do you hope to discover during the next couple of days that will lead you into a future that you desire?

3. What do you bring to share with fellow travelers?

4. What are your important questions to explore while you are here?

5. What are you choosing to leave behind that will make your journey more successful?

We started our first day early in the morning in spite of a short night's rest. The excitement of meeting people, socializing, and getting to know each other kept us up until the early hours. There was also a lot of catching up to do among old friends.

As expected, Saudi Aramco, the sponsor of this Gulf SoL event, had organized a setting that was exceptionally appropriate for the importance of the subject. Mr. Salim Al-Aydh spoke and set the stage for what became an energized audience that shared their experiences, emotions and hopes. The economy and the state of country affairs were addressed by a prominent economist, Dr Said Al-Shaikh, from the National Commercial Bank. He was followed by Dr. Peter Senge, renowned author and pioneer in the field of the learning organization.

Serious topics were discussed and varying experiences were shared. However, what I felt, experienced, and observed that affected me most were the topics that were introduced and discussed by the women participants at our tables.

This was the first time for me to attend an event that included Saudi women. Even though they are responsible for the development of our youth from their earliest days, they have been virtually excluded from participating in events that deal with important social issues. Their presence, knowledge, experience, and influence over what we, as a society, are required to accomplish, is significant. However, they rarely participate in such events. For me this was a paradigm shift. For years we have been discussing the future of our country which will be in the hands of the younger generation. Significantly, it is the mothers more than the fathers who are raising and molding this future generation, especially during their early years of development where it matters most.

One of the first issues that arose from our conversations was the capability of our graduates and their acquired skills. An education specialist, revealed how we tend to address immediate issues, experiences, and difficulties our youth are facing, but overlook the capabilities and techniques of our educators. She reminded us that it is the educators of our very young who have the greatest impact on students’ development. She emphasized the need to upgrade the capabilities of our teachers and broaden their horizons. Only then can we expect to see improvement in capabilities of our youth.

One presentation I attended ,which addressed what the educational specialist had discussed, was about the SEED Program, sponsored by Schlumberger. SEED stands for Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development, a program that:

• connects disadvantaged school children in developing countries to the Internet,
• shares the real world of science through a multilingual online science center, and
• facilitates collaborative projects among school children around the world.

This program offers young people a tangible opportunity to participate in the economic and social advantages afforded by access to new knowledge and technologies. The vision is to build an international learning community that dissolves barriers and creates connections.

As the ladies spoke and contributed, I observed that they did not complain or address their past exclusions. Instead, they focused directly on the subjects and contributed immensely. They were grateful for the opportunity and participated equally with enthusiasm and hope for the future of our country and people. In fact, Mrs. Nimah Ismail Nawwab, a published poet who was attending the session, read from her poems “The Longing” and “The Coming”, reminding us of the important voice that women can bring to our dialogue. She was pleased to note that the perception of one of her lines - “a voice among the voiceless” in her poem “The Longing”- was changed that day at Hawar.

In Dr Shaikh’s presentation, I was moved by the existing gap between what Saudis need to earn to be able to live and what their expatriate counterparts require. This gap is affecting the business sector’s ability to employ Saudis and stay competitive.

The subject of job creation and employment of locals received equal attention from the participants. Many initiatives started when this issue was first addressed in the Shaybah Café, and Hawar Dialogue became the natural continuation of such discussions. I had the rare opportunity to spend time with a colleague who started his career as an academician and later joined the private sector. He is a member of many organizations at the policy making level.

I asked him whether or not policy creators take into account the basic arithmetic employed by businessmen to run their businesses. Specifically, we talked about how businessmen need to add their cost plus their overhead and charge a reasonable rate of return on their investment. I needed to hear his feedback since he has experienced both sides of this issue. As I expected, my colleague indicated that policy makers don’t concern themselves with these details. For years I have discussed this issue with many people from the Government and Academic sectors who have not wanted to concede to my argument.

I continue to present a businessman’s point of view to many audiences. My strong belief is that our youth are no different from the rest of the world in their interest and willingness to work hard and progress. Equally, I believe that our businessmen are committed to the prosperity and success of their businesses and to the prosperity and security of the country. The issue is the existence of the chasm between what the business community can and cannot do and what the public and government official’s expectations are.

Another topic frequently talked about related to the classic issue of where changes that affect societies take place. Does it occur from the top down or from the bottom up? We were fortunate to have a first class Management Specialist and experienced Government official with us. He along with many other prominent Government and Private sector professionals shared his experiences and hopes for the future with the group. He revealed to us that, based on his experience, decisions that are made at the top of organizations are actually controlled more than 75% of the time by lower level staff. The staff, more or less, decides how and what the outcome will be. To make sure his decisions are not adversely affected by actions and influences by people with special interests, he employs three private advisors from different disciplines to study and recommend appropriate actions. He makes sure they remain anonymous and that their comments are seen only by him.

Hawar Dialogue raised many issues that need further exploration and discussion. It also created action items that many individuals and organizations pledged to pursue. Gulf SoL committed to supporting these projects, particularly those involving education and training. A follow-up to this successful dialogue with an appropriate theme should be selected. I call on my colleagues to keep the momentum going steadily, to contribute to the projects, and participate in future Gulf SoL events.

Best Regards,
Ahmed Ashadawi, President
Al-Falak Electronic Equipment & Supplies Co.

Company Website: Http:// www.alfalak.com