In an evening filled with loyalty, memory, and light, Dr. Mohammed Al-Mashouh’s Thuluthiyah hosted Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Khudhair, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Al-Yamamah University, on Tuesday evening, October 28, 2025, in a meeting dedicated to showcasing the biography of his late father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Khudhair – a pioneer of private education in the Kingdom and the founder of the Model Schools – through his book published as 'A Journey Between Two Centuries.'

The meeting was presented and moderated by Mr. Sahm Al-Dajani, an opinion writer at Al-Jazeera newspaper, director of the Hamad Al-Jasir Cultural Center, and supervisor of the Hamad Al-Jasir Cultural Thursday gatherings.

The meeting turned into an open session between a generation that created the beginnings of private education in the Kingdom and a generation that continues its mission today through practical and impactful educational institutions. In that council filled with the fragrance of books and cultural initiatives, it became clear that discussions about Sheikh Al-Khudhair were not limited to the history of one man, but extended to narrate the story of a nation that learned with patience before it learned through its schools.

From the Judge's Council to the Council of Knowledge

Dr. Mohammed Al-Mashouh opened the meeting with a story from the book that represents the essence of transformation in Sheikh Al-Khudhair's life, when as a child he noticed his father's interest in the guests of the council, but he realized that the greatest honor was bestowed upon one man: “the judge.” He then asked his father about the secret of this appreciation, to which his father replied: “Because he learned.” That moment – as described by Al-Mashouh – was the spark that made the young Mohammed realize that the path to elevation passes through education.

From that moment, the seed of ambition was planted, and his journey from Riyadh Al-Khabra to Riyadh was one of struggle, lasting ten days on a truck loaded with wooden logs, in pursuit of knowledge. The Kingdom was then on the cusp of a comprehensive renaissance, and the young sheikh was part of a generation that believed learning was a national duty before it was a means of income.

ARAMCO… The First School

In his speech recalling the chapters of the biography, Mr. Khalid Al-Khudhair spoke about his father’s beginnings, saying:

“For him, education was more than a job; it was a life's mission. Until the last night of his life, we shared dinner together, and his entire conversation was about education.”

The son recounts that his father worked at ARAMCO in its early days, where he became acquainted with an organized work environment, learned English, and enrolled in evening education programs until he became a teacher for Saudi laborers. From there, his experience in institutional education began, and he moved to the Al-Kharj agricultural project where he established the first night school in the region. That experience was an early laboratory for the idea of organized private education.

From Construction Contracts to Building Humanity

Al-Khudhair pointed out in his speech that his father was not a traditional businessman, but “he started his life as a writer and a teacher, and opened the first library in Al-Kharj.” He saw in paper an ink for development, and in books a resource that transcends profits. When he founded the Model Schools in Riyadh, his goal was not to achieve commercial returns, but to build a different model in an environment that was still hesitant to accept the idea of private schools – especially girls' schools.

Sheikh Al-Khudhair faced significant financial challenges, but he held on to his principle that real investment is in human beings. His son says:

“My father believed that work which does not tire you is not worthy of you, even if it is profitable.”

An Ever-Renewing Legacy through Endowments and Education

The Model Schools have evolved into an educational institution that today includes more than 35,000 male and female students, staffed by four thousand employees, and a significant portion of its shares are owned by Mohammed Al-Khudhair Educational Endowments, which has expanded to include the maintenance of public schools, the construction of educational facilities, and support for student talents.

Mr. Khalid pointed out that the family recently launched the “Mohammed Al-Khudhair Model Government School” project in partnership with the Ministry of Education, which is a quality school that adopts the “project-based learning” approach and targets talented students of both genders, aiming to be a unique Saudi model that combines academic quality and social responsibility.

Contributions Filled with Analysis and Appreciation

The evening witnessed rich contributions from a selection of academics and thinkers.

His Excellency Dr. Abdulwahid Al-Humaid described Sheikh Al-Khudhair as “a man who invested in the identity of the nation before investing in its institutions,” considering that his experience represents a model for a pioneer who combined private education and endowment work.

Meanwhile, the attendees during their interventions called for the reprinting of the book and completing its chapters to include the establishment phase of Al-Yamamah University as a natural extension of the founding Sheikh's thought.

They also praised what they described as the “culture of inquiry” that distinguished Sheikh Al-Khudhair from a young age, considering that the question was his primary tool for knowledge, and will was his means to change reality.

Education as a Non-Profit Endeavor

The contributions affirmed that Al-Khudhair's experience was not a commercial project but rather an early model of social investment in education, echoing the philosophy of the non-profit sector today. The schools he established returned their profits to their programs, and the endowment he left turned into a charitable institution serving public education and supporting the talented.

From this perspective, the third bank sees Al-Khudhair's legacy as a unique Saudi model that translates the Kingdom's vision in building a non-profit sector based on education and human development.

Between Two Centuries… A Vision That Extends

The evening ended as it began, with knowledge connecting the three generations. At the conclusion of the meeting, Khalid Al-Khudhair said:

“Whoever wants to invest in education should ensure it is of high quality, as the state has provided the best in public education, and our role is to continue the construction with quality and excellence.”

Thus, it seemed that “A Journey Between Two Centuries” is not just the title of a book, but a journey of a nation between a generation that carried logs on its shoulder and a generation that carries a computer in its hand, with one message between them: that knowledge is the longest but the most beautiful path.

This experience confirms that private education and intellectual endowments are not alternatives to charitable work, but rather among its noblest and most sustainable forms. And that the legacy of Sheikh Mohammed Al-Khudhair and his family provides a timeless lesson for every non-profit institution:

Great achievements are not born from capital, but from a mind filled with faith that education is the greatest ongoing charity.