RIYADH: Saudi university students and graduates have come up with the unique idea of creating a huge portrait of King Abdullah by taking the thumb impressions of people at malls. The portrait would be created in honor of the King's recent homecoming after completing successful medical treatment abroad. The Saudi youth demonstrated how the portrait could be created at a meeting held in Dammam under the “Ambitious Youth” program launched by Zain Saudi Arabia as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR). “The young men have come up with the idea of collecting the thumb prints of the general public and creating a huge poster of King Abdullah, as a mark of honor for his recent homecoming,” said Bandar Mosa Al-Aida, Corporate Communications, CEO Office, Zain Saudi Arabia. Al-Aida said this shows the respect and honor that the Saudi youths want to express for King Abdullah, adding that such a project has not be undertaken before. Around 20 young Saudis participated in the meeting and successfully demonstrated how the portrait could be created, he said. Al-Aida said Saudi youths, who participated in the Ambitious Youth program and were elated at King Abdullah's homecoming, would organize a number of shows in major Saudi cities such as Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah. “They will invite members of the general public to participate in the project by simply leaving an impression of their thumb on a huge poster that ultimately will create the image of King Abdullah,” he said. Zain Saudi Arabia convenes a meeting of Saudi youths every three to four months as part of its Ambitious Youth program that targets young Saudis, who are mostly university students or graduates. Under the program, department managers from Zain Saudi Arabia deliver lectures, speak about their personal experiences, and highlight their struggles, success stories and achievements in life. Al-Aida said the heads of finance, public relations, technical and other departments take part in the quarterly meeting held in different cities of the Kingdom. “The basic idea is to train and prepare Saudi university students and graduates for the local job market,” he said. “The Ambitious Youth program is an opportunity for Saudi youths to utilize their energies in something productive and make them pioneers in projects they plan for future lives,” said Abdullah Bin Hussein Al-Damer, Corporate Communications Manager, Zain Saudi Arabia. He said that the young Saudis who participated in open dialogue with department managers at Zain Saudi Arabia were curious to know about the experiences and success stories of department heads.
