Inclusion is not an abstract notion that everybody talks about favourably in order to feel good, but a critical tool that facilitates business growth. Tala Alsahsah, Founder & CEO of Tan Gulf, Honayda Serafi, Founder & Creative Director of Honayda, and Dr. Tara Lalvani, Founder & CEO of Beautifect shared their personal stories of overcoming the barrier of traditional inclusion and what equal opportunities mean in doing business.
Inclusivity of women is not about exclusivity, or exclusion of men; it is about working all together for the greater good.
“Six years ago, it was unheard of a woman tapping into a male dominant world with FMCG, logistics, operational sales, or marketing. We live in a culture in which everybody feels entitled to have a say in what you’re doing. Empowerment from family and our community is necessary to start listening to your own voice and your intuition. “
Female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia is not about a new Saudi Arabia. It’s a new continuation for the old Saudi Arabia.
The government has changed drastically today. There are semi-government entities like Mon’shaat that literally help entrepreneurs from scratch, from opening a start-up to mentoring them, take them through the process all the way up to funding. Nowadays we’re getting a lot of support from new organizations like the Fashion Commission that now can support better the fashion industry.
We live in a culture in which everybody feels entitled to have a say in what you’re doing. Empowerment from family and our community is necessary to start listening to your own voice and your intuition. 
Tala Alsahsah
Finding and following your passion is like finding your life purpose.
Many of us and have had to struggle and just accept the old, traditional way of doing things. A lot of the time we let our fears become our limits, while we should always push ourselves out of our comfort zones to pursue our dreams. Being a dentist for over a decade didn’t stop me from starting a new business that would address a problem in a new, innovative way. And I feel it serves a purpose, it’s about empowering women and making our lives easier.
Sustainability goes beyond having an environmentally friendly brand; it’s also about keeping the heritage and incorporate it in new forms to pass it on to the next generation.
Saudi is a very young country. Αround 50% of the country that are just below 25 years old. And then around 80% just less than 40 years old. So those young generations are very ready for the change they’re embracing. They are very much ready to embrace this change and taking Saudi to the modern era.
