As the Juffali business empire flourished, so the family continued on its ambitious philanthropic drive to help marginalised communities. Having enjoyed the privilege of a good schooling in their childhood, both Ahmed and Suad put education at the heart of their approach.
“I'm a great believer in education because of the impact it has had on my life,” said Suad, speaking at the American University in Cairo (AUC) in 2017. “I vowed to myself to develop my life to educate and to empower the marginalised by equipping them with the most powerful tool they can get. And I believe that it is only the power of education that will lead to prosperity, advancement, and success.”
Ahmed shared his wife’s commitment and was among the founders of Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz University in 1967. When the university first opened its doors in 1968, 68 male students - and 30 female students, which was radical at that time - began a four-year undergraduate degree. Today, the university sees over 100,000 students enrolled in its many undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs.
Then, in 1977, Ahmed launched the Juffali Training Centre. Aligned with the Juffali Group, by now a global conglomerate, the training centre provided vocational training to Saudi Arabia's youth and offered them a technical education and a route for future employment in Juffali factories and workshops.
Meanwhile, inspired by the success of the Women's Welfare Society, Suad was part of a founding committee including Saudi Arabian princesses and female ministers that helped establish the Al-Faisaliyah Women Welfare Society in Jeddah in 1976, prioritising mother and child welfare in health and education.
