NEW BEGININGS, EVERY SINGLE DAY

By Ameen Rihani – CEO

I’m very pleased to welcome you to the first edition of Alrajhi First Holding’s monthly newsletter.

This is more than just a new publication. It’s a space where we share ideas, reflect on our progress, and bring our wider network, employees, partners, clients, and friends who are closer to the heart of what we’re building. You’ll find stories, updates, and lessons from across our companies. But most importantly, you’ll see how we think and why we do what we do.

As we launch this first issue, I’d like to start with a topic that reflects a major part of our journey in recent months: the value of structure

Some people think beginnings only happen once a new job, a grand opening, a major announcement. But anyone who works in construction, hospitality, or operations knows the truth: beginnings happen every day.
They happen before the sun rises, when the kitchen team walks in to prep for 2000 guests. They happen when the setup crew arrives at an empty venue and starts transforming it into something beautiful. They happen when a nervous bride walks through the gates and sees her wedding space for the first time. That moment, her moment, becomes our beginning, too.

Not every beginning is smooth. There are mornings when a contractor is late. Days when the AC decides to stop working or power goes off. Times when you’ve planned everything perfectly, and then the client changes everything with a smile and a shrug. That’s the nature of what we do. It’s unpredictable. It’s demanding. And it’s real.

But that’s also why we love it.

Each challenge is a chance to show who we are, not just in our planning, but in our attitude. And each new beginning is a reminder that yesterday’s success doesn’t guarantee today’s. We have to earn it, again and again. That’s what keeps the work meaningful.

I remember a moment last year when we were asked to complete an entire residential compound in just two months. It wasn’t just a fast-track job, it was a necessity. The employees were scheduled to move out of their old accommodation, and there was no option to delay.
The site was barely out of the ground. We had 60 days to finish the full scope: civil works, MEP, finishes, landscaping, utilities, everything. Some said it wasn’t possible. But the team didn’t blink. The site became a hive of motion, everyone was on the ground, working not just to deliver a structure, but to solve a human problem.
And in the middle of it all were our own people, some of whom were meant to live in that compound. They lived through the pressure, the long shifts, the dust, the setbacks. They made sacrifices. And yet, they showed nothing but responsibility, discipline, and unity. They knew the importance of what we were doing, and they carried it with pride.

At Saraj, and across our group, we’ve come to see each day as a reset button. We don’t just create events. We create fresh starts, for clients, guests, and ourselves. That takes energy. But more importantly, it takes belief. Belief that even the hardest day has something worth showing up for. Belief that every small detail adds up. Belief that we’re part of something bigger.
So here’s to new beginnings, on Mondays and Fridays, in quiet moments and big events, in familiar spaces and unfamiliar tasks. Here’s to the work we do when no one is looking, and to the magic that happens when everything comes together.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what keeps us coming back.

This newsletter is part of that journey. It’s a way to share what we’re learning, celebrate what we’re achieving, and keep you close to our story.