Today, we have 45 employees and many of them travel regularly on business trips. Prior to starting this business, I worked in the sales department of a large organization. I used to travel often. I remember, I was once on a business trip to Belgium when I suddenly had to undergo an emergency surgery for my appendicitis. To make things even worse, the company I worked for did not have any overseas medical coverage. This meant I had to pay myself for all the medical expenses. After a long time and several complaints, the company finally reimbursed me. This experience left a lasting impact on me and when I started my own business, the first thing I did was purchase a medical policy to protect all my employees. If ever the situation arises and there is a medical emergency, I want them to feel safe, receive the best medical care possible and especially not worry about any financial implications – no matter how far they might be from home.

Competitors are always trying to attract our most talented people with a better salary – so making sure our employees are happy with what we offer them is a constant challenge. I personally believe that offering a combination of salary plus benefits is key to not only interest the right people, but also to retain them and gain their loyalty. That’s why we’ve made sure to include in our package an innovative life and medical insurance plan that covers employees and their dependents. Without it, our package would be incomplete and that would get in the way of our company’s vision of being #1 in our line of business in every market that we operate in.

Despite it all, every month, I would put aside a portion of my income towards fulfilling my dream of being my own boss. My father had always told me that money saved is money earned. Looking back, I know that having saved is one of the main reasons that I’ve made this far today. Having learned this invaluable lesson, I try to convey the same message to my employees. Most of them are young, either married or recently engaged. I can tell that they are all looking forward to a promising future. I tell them that saving is the way to get there, be it to have their own business, to send their children to the best schools, get married, or build a dream home. And since my company already offers employees a group life insurance, I decided to add to it a voluntary savings program, allowing employees to benefit from a more disciplined form of saving. With deductions made automatically from their salaries every month, saving becomes really easy to manage. More so, to reward them for their hard work, the company also contributes to their savings account every now and then. I think of this as a valuable strategy that can help people years from today – especially in the absence of a social security safety net.

The doctors did their best, but because of the severity of his injuries, he is now permanently disabled and confined to a wheelchair. Through this hard time, Khalid and I both knew that our biggest challenge was going to be our finances. Our medical insurance covered the cost of our bills, but since Khalid could no longer go to work, we needed to figure out how to manage our expenses. My salary can cover for the day-to-day bills, but it was not enough to cover the installments for our home. I called my bank to find out what our options were and I was surprised when they told me not to worry. They explained that along with our mortgage, Khalid had purchased a mortgage insurance cover. This means, because my husband can no longer work, this insurance will re-pay our outstanding mortgage in full. Knowing this has lifted a huge burden from our shoulders and I can now focus on taking care of my family and helping my husband get better.

I don't think he knows what he's going to do when the money runs out. His story made me think about how a situation like his could affect me and my family. I want to make sure that my family will be taken care of and that I can maintain my independence if the unexpected was to happen to me.

 So, until they become a bit less prone to accidents, I need a reasonably-priced insurance that extensively covers for my whole family – or at the very least, my two sons.

 But now that we have Gamila, we will obviously need to change our lifestyle and start making some kind of regular savings and investments. We want to be able to give our daughter the best in life, and in order to do that, we have to start putting money away right now. It’s reassuring to think that we could pay for her fantastic wedding one day, or even help her with the deposit on her first house.

So, I'd like to start putting aside some money in a secure investment, separate from Khaled's investments, to be 100% sure that Shady gets the education he deserves.

Although my wife doesn't work, we’ve managed to save a reasonable amount of money. My job has taken me all around the world – and I'd like to be able to revisit some of these places again when I retire. But this time around, I want to go with my wife, so that we can enjoy the adventures together. We want to make sure that the savings and investments we make in the next few years give us a comfortable retirement, without having to eat into money we'd like to leave for the children – and, with any luck, the grandchildren, too.