From Humble Beginnings to Retail Professional of the Year

Eng. Wail Mobarak Balkhair, CEO of Sahat Property Management Co., specializing in the management of shopping centres, received the Gold Award for Retail Professional of the Year 2019 from the Retail Congress Middle East and North Africa Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards which was recently held in Dubai on 29th October 2019. Eng. Wail Balkhair has been praised with distinction by Mr. Younus Al Mulla, Chairman of The Middle East Council of Shopping Centres and Retailers, MECS+R.

Eng. Wail Mobarak Balkhair has achieved many successes during his entire career. He started as a maintenance planner in 1999 working on a night shift with minimum wage. He joined the shopping centres industry nine years ago and in a short period of time, he introduced several initiatives to develop and contribute to the Shopping Centre Industry in KSA. He has moved many positions in his career, including some related to the benefit of the industry such as the Chairman of the Shopping Centers Committee and a member of the Entertainment and Tourism Committee in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, as well as appointed as a Board Member of The Middle East Council of Shopping Centres & Retailers in Dubai, until he reached his current position as CEO of Sahat Property Company, which was crowned with success and won him the Gold Award for the best CEO "Retail Professional of the Year" showcasing his efforts and passion to the industry and his pursuit for learning and implementing new and innovative ideas in the shopping centre sector.

Commenting on the Award, Eng. Wail Mobarak Balkhair said, “I am honored to receive this prestigious award and this appreciation, following the evaluation conducted by the International Jury of Shopping Centres in the MECS+R, according to criteria that focused on the excellence in the shopping centres sector and contributing with the team to make a difference in the company we work, the outstanding financial factors, and the initiatives that have been put into practice. All these I especially credit to God, then the prayers of my mother, support of my

family and the efforts of my colleagues. I hope that this story will encourage young men and women approaching this field to be inspired that no matter how modest your beginnings may have been, but the summit is not impossible. Hard work, smart decision-making and planned goals will always pay off. It may not happen today, not in the next six months or a year, but keep going. Your hard work will pay off!”

This award is a testament to the great efforts exerted by the team of Sahat Company under the leadership of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Mohamed Iqbal Alawi, to consolidate and develop the future status of the company.

It is worth mentioning the mission set by Sahat Property Management Co. to develop the shopping centre sector in Saudi Arabia, especially in the holy places such as Makkah and Madinah, in order to integrate with the Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia. Wail believes in continuous learning, to stay updated in an industry that is constantly evolving from terminology to actionable procedures, and he says that winning this award will help solidify that hard work and lasting love for knowledge in this industry which are integral pieces of what makes a Retail Professional of the Year.

Modest beginnings don't mean the mountains are insurmountable.