Book

Nature of Activity and Profession.. and Its Impact on Practice

Prof. Dr. Yassin Abdulrahman Al-Jifri

Date of publication: 06 July 2026 23:40 KSA

Since ancient times in our country, we have been accustomed to practicing the trade profession, excelled in it, and it grew to become part of us. New activities such as services, industry, and agriculture came to us, and we began to enter and practice them by various segments of society. However, we found that our success in trade does not always help us succeed in industry or agriculture in particular, and to some extent in services. Our commercial background influences the way we perform in industrial and agricultural activities, which may hinder success. The merchant is accustomed to obtaining a ready-made product with an established market; his activity focuses on importing, displaying, and selling the product, with no involvement in its development or innovation, as that role is left to the exporter. The same applies to some services that can be easily presented and marketed in a known and established market. But when entering industry, agriculture, or some services that require developing, forming, and marketing the product, we find ourselves helpless as individuals with a commercial background, whether we are agents or distributors, in terms of patience to penetrate the market or compete in it. We are accustomed to short-term dealings and expecting results, used to a pattern that is not achievable in industry, agriculture, or some services, which leads to initial failure and a reluctance to continue, compared to what we experience in trade and some services. Therefore, we see clear failure because we expect quick results and profitability from the start, not hard work that takes time to yield returns. There are many examples of industrial companies in our market that struggled at the beginning but achieved good results later, especially if their products were primary. Even with the entry of the first and second tiers after the pioneering generation, the mentality of traders or commerce still prevails, which may lead to failure. Similarly, haste and the desire to achieve results sometimes cause confusion and low morale, thereby affecting productivity and the desire for continuity in the market. We face a great challenge that requires us to change our approach to activity in order to create added value that advances the Saudi economy steps forward. We must think and act as industrialists, farmers, and service providers to achieve stability and success. We must shed the cloak of commerce and the short-term view in our activity, and believe that the issue requires a long-term perspective if we wish to succeed. The matter is not just investment; we need to adopt industrial and agricultural thinking and behavior to achieve the goal.

Magal Maqalat