The MIT Club of Saudi Arabia held its 16th Annual Dinner Meeting in Riyadh on Sunday, April 6th, 2015. The guest of honor, His Excellency Dr. Fahad A. Al-Mubarak, Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), delivered the keynote address in the presence of 110 guests including government officials, Shoura Council Members, Saudi private and industrial sector leaders, media representatives, and MIT alumni.
During his keynote speech, Dr. Al-Mubarak revealed how the creation of a strong banking system contributed to the development of the Kingdom, highlighting the role SAMA played in safeguarding the financial stability of Saudi Arabia. His presentation also discussed developments in the global economy, monetary policies in developed countries, and the future prospects of the Saudi economy.
After the speech, Dr. Al-Mubarak took part in a Q&A session moderated by Dr. Mohammed Al-Saggaf, Vice President of the MIT Club of Saudi Arabia and Service Line Head (A) of Operations and Business Services at Saudi Aramco.
The Club Honors its Founder
Another highlight of the 16th Annual Dinner, the members of the Club’s executive committee honored its founder, Eng. Mohammed Bakr.
In the opening speech, H.E. Eng. Abdullatif Al-Othman, President of the Club and Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), highlighted the efforts made by Eng. Mohamed Bakr – founding president of the MIT Club of Saudi Arabia for 15 years, and its current Honorary President – in the establishment of the Club and the management of its affairs and meetings since 1998. He also highlighted how Eng. Bakr selflessly devoted his time, effort, and expertise to make the Club the success it is today.
Mr. Bakr is a longstanding public servant who has dedicated his life to developing Saudi Arabia. Beyond his extensive record of professional and community service, he has been a loyal and trailblazing ambassador for MIT for more than four decades in the Arabian Peninsula. As one of the first MIT alumni in the history of Saudi Arabia, he formally founded the MIT Club of Saudi Arabia in 1998 and served as its president for 15 years. Thanks to his singular efforts, the club is one of the most prestigious and influential in the region. For more than a decade, Mr. Bakr has organized many of the club’s events which have become known for being the preeminent congregation of technocrats in the country, where business and government leaders get together to discuss the pertinent issues of the day. The success of the club kickstarted a wave of emulation by alumni of other elite institutions. Nevertheless, few have been able to match the relevance and legacy of the MIT Club of Saudi Arabia.
The Officers of the Club expressed their appreciation and gratitude for Eng. Bakr’s longstanding commitment to the Club with a painting incorporating a verse from the Abbasid-era poet Abu Tammam, which was a nod to Eng. Bakr’s extraordinary generosity and commitment to the longevity of the Club.
Mr. Bakr’s commitment to MIT as an alumnus is not only restricted to Saudi Arabia; in 2001 he established the “Mohammed and Mariam Bakr Fund” to support general student life at MIT. In 2003, he established an endowment fund in the name of the MIT Club of Saudi Arabia to support programs at the Institute that promote cultural tolerance and understanding, as well as to support student-life related activities of Arab or Muslim students. He is also currently serving his second term on the International Visiting Committee of The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at MIT.