Tales from Inside the Hayel Saeed Anam Group

Yemenat

Mohammed Al-Mekhlafi

At today’s afternoon qat gathering, I met a friend. As usual, our conversations often move from current events to literature, sports, and a variety of other topics. During our conversation today, however, I found myself particularly struck by what he shared about his aunt, who works for one of the companies within the Hayel Saeed Anam Group.

What he shared about his aunt carries lessons worth reflecting on. It reveals a leadership style that believes in its employees, is committed to supporting and encouraging them, provides opportunities for learning and professional growth, and stands beside them throughout their careers. That is what inspired me to write this article.

She began working in 2006 with only a high school certificate, joining the archives department with a respectable salary. She was punctual, carried out her responsibilities with dedication, and continued in that role until 2012.

However, following the Arab Spring events and the difficulties that came afterward, business declined and was no longer what it had once been.

The company’s general manager, one of the sons of the late Al Haj Hayel Saeed Anam, maintained a close relationship with employees. He cared about them, encouraged them, and was always willing to offer advice and support.

On one occasion, he invited the employee into his office and spoke to her with the warmth of a father.

“Why don’t you continue your education? You’re a successful employee, and your future is full of opportunity.”

She thanked him for his encouragement but explained that she could not afford to do so because she was supporting her family, including her mother and her husband, who was unemployed at the time.

“Don’t worry about that,” he replied. “The company will cover your education, and you’ll keep your job exactly as it is.”

She accepted the offer and thanked him for his support and encouragement.

She enrolled in the College of Commerce to study Business Administration, balancing her job with her studies. The manager continued to ask about her academic progress and never stopped encouraging her until she completed her studies and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

She was later promoted to the billing department, and her salary improved. In the department, there was a Lebanese employee who handled correspondence with foreign companies in English. In 2015, the Lebanese employee resigned.

Afterward, the manager asked her to learn how to conduct business correspondence in English. She began learning but soon realized that her level of English was not yet sufficient for the role.

The manager then told her that the company would enroll her in English courses at YALI Institute at its own expense. She studied English there and eventually became highly proficient in handling business correspondence with professionalism and confidence.

She also received additional training courses that helped her develop her skills and refine her expertise. She continued to perform her work with dedication and enthusiasm, making the most of every opportunity she was given.

As the years passed, her professional growth was not driven solely by support and encouragement. It was also the result of the company’s commitment to maintaining a clear and systematic employee performance evaluation process.

The company evaluates its employees through a modern digital system that records each employee’s information from the day they join the company. It continuously tracks performance, attendance and departure records through the timekeeping system, workplace discipline, and task completion. It also includes employees’ academic qualifications, degrees, and training courses. Based on these records, the system evaluates employees accurately and professionally, free from human intervention that may be subject to personal adjustments or individual judgments.

Based on this evaluation, she was selected as the company’s Employee of the Year for 2025.

This achievement reflected the continuous support, encouragement, and guidance she received from the company’s executive director. It also demonstrated the company’s commitment to investing in its employees and empowering them to grow and advance throughout their professional careers.

There is another story about a young man who came to Sana’a from rural Shamir in Taiz Governorate after completing high school in search of a job. He happened to find work in the company’s cafeteria. He was a neat, well-groomed young man who wore suits and ties and treated everyone with courtesy and respect. Every morning, he made a point of delivering a cup of Nescafé to the company manager’s office with professionalism and genuine politeness.

The young man caught the manager’s attention. Impressed by his character, appearance, and manner, the manager remarked, “It’s a shame for this young man to remain working in the cafeteria.” He instructed the Human Resources Department to assign him to the Mail Department. Nor did he stop there. He also arranged for the company to sponsor the young man’s English studies at one of Sana’a’s universities. Over time, he steadily advanced through the company until he became a supervisor in the sales division overseeing retail outlets.

When we look at these stories and others like them, we find that this respectful treatment of employees, along with the company’s commitment to supporting, encouraging, and developing their abilities, is an extension of the values established by its founding patriarch, the late Al Haj Hayel Saeed Anam, may God have mercy on him. He believed that investing in people is no less important than building an institution.

The Group, which began as a modest shop in the city of Aden in 1938 and expanded steadily over the years, has grown into one of the leading business groups in Yemen and the region.

Despite this remarkable expansion, it has remained faithful to the human values upon which it was founded.

The Hayel Saeed Anam Charity is one example of this commitment. It provides support across a wide range of fields, assisting those in need and patients, supporting education, building mosques, and sponsoring many other charitable initiatives.