SUCCESS SAUDI
“I love Saudi, it’s been an incredible country. The opportunities here are limitless. It’s not that this is just a great place to live, it’s that a lot of people don’t know about it.”
Joel Huffman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Arabius, an innovative language and culture company based in Riyadh. Joel is also the chair for SME and Entrepreneurship at the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia. He is originally from Texas and he moved to Saudi years ago to help launch a fitness company and fell in love with the local culture and language. Joel has been living in KSA for six years, is a former US marine, a father of three, and passionate about crossfit.
Joel’s life leading up to co-founding Arabius
Joel moved to Saudi Arabia in 2017 to help launch a fitness company. It wasn’t long after that he went on a quest to learn the local dialect of Arabic. He realized he wasn’t the only expat on a quest to learn the language and saw an opportunity to start a company to teach Arabic. Together with his co-founders, he started Arabius in 2021.
Keys to starting a business in the Kingdom
Joel found it key to work with an incubator, accelerator, and co-working program to support him and his co-founders in their journey to establish the company. They helped navigate the various government agencies and licensing and set up their company. He also benefited from the co-working space where, together with other companies going through a similar process, they could share tips and information.
The benefit of working with co-founders
The most important impact on the company has been the co-founders. Each having their areas of expertise helped with decision making and gave them different perspectives. They started with 3 co-founders with another co-founder joining 6 months later.
Learning Arabic with an app
In addition to offering Arabic language classes, Arabius recently launched a new language learning app. The app incorporates experiential learning to facilitate sustained progress using a natural language learning process. The app is suitable for all ages and allows users to learn both language and culture simultaneously. Whether someone wants to use the app to supplement Arabic language classes or simply begin their journey learning Arabic, it offers different levels of commitment. And it’s free of charge!
Transitioning to life in Saudi Arabia
Joel and his wife moved to KSA together and had three children here. They find Saudi Arabia to be family-friendly, and people are generous and welcoming. They also appreciate how safe the country is. Joining a Crossfit gym helped their transition to life in KSA and enabled them to meet people from different industries. Additionally, joining meetup groups and the American Chamber of Commerce helped them build a network of people they can ask questions to.
Joel encourages anyone considering moving to KSA, to apply for a tourist visa and come for a visit. He believes that nothing can prepare you for a move more than experiencing the country firsthand and talking to people to live here.
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Arabius is a cultural center in Riyadh offering Saudi language and culture training to individuals and organizations. Native Saudi Guides from around the country teach local dialect Arabic in immersive language sessions, as well as cultural awareness workshops such as Living and Working in Saudi Arabia. If interested for yourself or your organization, visit arabius.com.
Success Saudi is a video podcast that delves into the inspiring stories and journeys of entrepreneurs and influential individuals in Saudi Arabia. The aim is to empower, motivate, and provide valuable insights into achieving success in the Kingdom.
