Graduating from university no more than a year ago, Nawaf Naser Al Arbash rightly merited his enviable titles. As the owner of the small enterprise ‘Tough Tech’, Director of Public Relations at the Abhar Catering Co./Lazurd for Meals Preparation and finally, the Co-Founder and Public Relations and Foreign Affairs Manager of the young non-profit charity organization KARE, this young entrepreneur thrives on the philosophy of work at the shy age of twenty two. An eagerness to learn compounded with a passion for work make for a lethal weapon, as Nawaf poses a strangely humble force of nature. He simply explains, “I’m always in search of something new to do, develop, create if possible, or even get involved in, to develop myself and skills. To put it in short ‘I love work.’”
Demonstrating early signs of leadership skills before entering the professional arena, Nawaf was part of a group called Global Change Makers; a program initiated by the British Council to bring forth and tighten the bonds between the Arab youth of the MENA region and the U.K. Representing Kuwait, he attended seminars and development courses in learning to become a social activist and an advocate of change. He carries on, “I was part of the first and main GCM’s in Kuwait, and I am very proud that we learned about applicable tools in implementing sophisticated advocacy and awareness methods.” Not only so, as co-founder of a voluntary NPO (or team) called KARE, Kuwait Around the Earth, philanthropy is immediately translated into work. Aimed at representing Kuwait’s youth, both locally and internationally, by volunteering in several non-profit humanitarian projects, KARE has taken part in various charitable causes, helping charity owners raise funds, arranging fund-raising events and allocating willing volunteers. According to Nawaf, charity is work, and should never be taken lightly; he holds the memory of visiting a renowned cancer hospital in Egypt dearly and supports various cancer causes such as Bayt Abdullah.
Nawaf’s passion for work doesn’t stop at charity, or even helping his family’s catering business expand, yet initiating a small business of his own came as a great challenge for this fresh graduate. As the owner of Tough Tech, he started his firm with the aim of satisfying his huge interest in electronics and gadgets, concentrating on durable “tough” mobile phones, and moreover securing the title as the “official distributor in Kuwait” via Seas & Deserts whom are the agents of the tough mobile phones, Sonim.
In our day and age, where typical 22-year olds are more concerned with driving the latest cars, this surprising and refreshing eagerness to work stems from a deeply ingrained ethic; growing up amongst a family posed on achieving more in life. Idolizing his grandfather, father and uncle, Nawaf looked no further than the family business and working hard as part of a successful organization to earn the experience he needed to progress and start his own enterprise. He explains, “Business does not only mean money-making, it also means dealing with people, with the society, meeting needs and wants. It involves a lot of psychology as well.” Taking the Abhar Catering Company ever further, which earlier focused on supplying catering services to certain oil rigs around the country and now handles large government tenders, required Nawaf’s line of thinking. Looking to cater for a niche market and seeing the needs and wants of a sophisticated and widening market segment, Lazurd catering was founded. Positioned towards combining traditional fine catering with an artistic flair, the Lazurd showroom at Al Raya complex offers everything from luxurious canapés, coffee sweets to complete menus, and serves small receptions to mass events. Employing world-renowned chefs, the Lazurd kitchen is an immaculate display of East meets West; Lazurd combines traditional westerns dishes with a twist of regional flavors.
As a part of an expanding age-group in Kuwait, Nawaf wishes to see more young professionals applying the concept of creating small businesses. He concludes, “Many small businesses have potential to be, in the long term, huge corporations, because the people running them are very ambitious and have unique intellect that can, and will, boost Kuwait’s economy and decrease its dependency on oil. I would also like to see more leniencies for foreign investments and business operations. I leave you with this: If you can remember a person because of one word they said, then that word, to you, is that person’s accomplishment to you. It’s not the size of what someone does that states it as an accomplishment, it’s how it has served in people’s memories, lives, and to what extent it satisfies the person them self.”
bazaar questionnaire:
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
If one were to state “infinity” as a number, I can then have a thought of perfect happiness.
What is your greatest fear?
After God, to be deprived of creativity, locked down from imagination, then of course to tell a joke in public and no one laughs.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My impatience; it’s a web-center that other traits diverse from.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Negativity. Again, it’s a tree with many branches. For instance, shallow people are mostly negative, and I disapprove of shallowness.
Which living person do you most admire?
Ooh, tough question. Quite a few actually, I’ll cheat and merge them all as one person: My father, Warren Buffet, Grandpa, and my Uncle.
What is your greatest extravagance?
I don’t believe in extravagance, because even luxuries or “wastes” have unselfish benefits, in whatever form. I might be a watch fanatic, and it can serve people around me. You never know who doesn’t have the time.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Food, hungry, i(apple product name here), “didn’t you read my tweet?”
When were you happiest?
I cannot really label one certain moment as “the” happiest. It’d be unfair to other happy situations.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Eidetic memory.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
Business-wise: Attaining official distributor for the Sonim brand in Kuwait. Philanthropy-wise: Assisting our siblings in need in Egypt, and Lebanon.
In my journey to improve myself, my skills, and entrepreneurial techniques, hopefully you will see some tangible accomplishments sooner rather than later. Whether they are in the development of Lazurd, or the creation of a new business by myself and friends.
Where would you most like to live?
I love it here too much; it satisfies any wishes to live anywhere else.
To find out more about Nawaf, get online and follow him on Twitter, which he also likes to call the “electronic diwaniya” at @narbash. For more information about Lazurd Catering, please visit www.lazurdcatering.comor follow them on twitter @lazurdkw.
