Entrepreneur Ahmed Makki Al Youssef

Entrepreneur Ahmed Makki Al Youssef

Ahmed Makki Al Youssef is an ambitious young man who benefited from his experience during his career progression to launch his distinguished project in the field of heat treatment of petroleum pipelines and its derivatives. When he wanted to start his project, he prepared a clear plan supported by unparalleled determination and ambition. He also had high hopes that his project would expand and add new services to it. He started in the field of self-employment through this project and his passion for it increased day by day with the support of the Social Development Bank. He is the young Ahmed Makki Al-Youssef, the owner of the (heat treatment center) project, and he is a resident of the city of Dammam. Our dialogue with him monitors the idea of ​​the project, its location in the local market, and other information, so follow it with us through these lines.

Introduce yourself

Ahmed Makki Al Youssef, born in 1979, a graduate of the Technical College in Dammam, Department of Electricity.

Talk about your project

The heat treatment center project is a project for heat treatment services for pipelines transporting gas, oil and petrochemicals with high pressure and high thickness, and the center’s services vary in this field, as it provides direct services to companies through contracting to implement the service directly through machines, equipment and technicians of the center, or leasing Equipment, maintenance and repair of equipment, or direct sale of equipment and accessories.

How did his idea start and why did you choose it?

After nine years of continuous work in this field, starting with field technical work and moving to managing a group of technicians at the work site, and the responsibility of supervision, follow-up and training, then the stage of dealing with companies and officials directly and knowing the suppliers of this type of equipment and its accessories. At the end of 2010, I started preparing a technical and practical plan that met all work requirements in gradual stages, and I found it suitable for my aspirations of independence and ambition to reach a promising future. As I, by the grace of God, have the technical, practical, administrative and field experience and skills that are suitable for this type of work.

How did you hear about SDB financing?

By searching on the Internet for financing that will help me start my project.

How did you apply for financing?

Through the Internet through the Entrepreneurship Institute in Dammam, which derives support from SDB, after a training program at the institute and the delivery of the work plan to the management of the institute.

How did you find this funding and how much was it?

This financing constitutes the beginning of my project in addition to my savings that I added to the project capital, and it is an essential support for consolidating the basic foundations and infrastructure of the project. The financing amount is three hundred thousand Saudi riyals.

Did you encounter difficulties at the beginning of launching your project? How did you manage to overcome it?

Yes, I have faced many difficulties, as the center is a new commercial name in the industrial and commercial market, the presence of competitors with long and long experience and a good reputation in the market and their acquisition of a large segment of customers, and the presence of entities that own an agency of commodities producing companies in addition to finding the right place for establishment with the possibility raise the rent.
​Praise be to God, I have overcome some of these difficulties through correspondence and arranging a visit to one of the producers of consumer goods, and trying to obtain an agency and provide technical services and special attention to the customer through a discount without the customer’s request, and providing some free services such as: (fixing some faults and some free accessories and technical supplements, with a focus on their low cost) with a focus on the product and obtaining financing to purchase equipment suitable for market competitiveness in terms of sale, service and leasing.
​After a full year has passed since the beginning of the project, and praise be to God, I have found that these difficulties have begun to diminish and to vanish, God willing.

What is the status of your project now, and did it provide you with a satisfactory income level?

The project is in the second transitional phase, as it will focus more on direct services through contracts concluded with the targeted companies. On the way to obtaining an agency for a British company that manufactures heat treatment equipment. As the first year was the year of establishment and gradual entry into the industrial market, and it has achieved a satisfactory level as a project that completed its first year, praise be to God.

There are those who fear failure, how do you direct them?

In order to succeed, your desire for success must outweigh your fear of failure, and you have the desire to succeed when you build the basic rules for your project in a thoughtful manner by doing a written project study that covers all technical, financial and strategic aspects of your project, then all the points are clear in front of you, and it is usually a stone The stumbling block in most projects is financial financing, and currently I do not find this an obstacle with the presence of credit bank financing only. All you have to do is show seriousness through a written project business plan.

What word would you like to direct to young people, especially those who are about to enter the world of finance and business?

Our country is a country of goodness and rich in natural resources, praise be to God, and our approach to self-employment is the beginning of a step to prove oneself and responsibility before the nation. Your direction towards starting a business or project is a treasure known only to those who set sail to search for it. Young people, whatever their capabilities and the value of the projects they undertake, are subject to failure, even if the economic feasibility, determination and ambition are effective, but the lack of experience and the necessary training or the absence of a partner or supervisor, the project may falter or fail, and the loss will be great, starting with the loss of the loan obtained by the owner The project led to a psychological loss for the owner of the project, ending with the loss of the state from emerging projects that are able to participate in solving the problem of unemployment.Therefore, I advise every ambitious young man who is about to start self-employment to go to the National Service and Support Centers (SDB - Entrepreneurship Institute) in order to obtain appropriate guidance and a successful business plan and strategy.

Which is better for you, the job or the self-employment?

Self-employment without hesitation, with the condition of seriousness and interest.

What are your future ambitions in your project?

Expanding the scope of work by adding a service that supports the field of heat treatment services, which is the service of radiography and destructive tests for metals, as it is a service related to the same field of industrial services for factories and oil companies. And the work of a coordinated system to work through a distinct management that provides efficient and high-quality services through which this facility is registered as a national industrial service facility.

What would you like to say to the Social Development Bank?

I extend my thanks to the staff and staff of the SDB and the Institute of Entrepreneurship in Dammam. In all stages of the program, from the beginning of the application until this day, guidance, care, constructive criticism, love and respect surrounded me from all members of these two systems. I have nothing but appreciation, gratitude, and gratitude for all those people included in this system, for they are the safety valve through whom I have reached this stage, and may God grant them wellness and success.