Sheikh Isam AlKabbani did not start his professional life in business. He worked for two years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in 1959 he was transferred to the newly formed Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, where he worked in the economic department. 

In the same year, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was formed, and soon he found himself as Chief Economist in Genva.

In 1968, Sheikh Isam decided to enter as a silent partner with his brother to establish the first PVC pipes factory in the Middle East. However, these pipes struggled to find a market because few understood their multiple applications and value.

The struggle coincided with the return of Sheikh Isam to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to continue his work in the Ministry of Petroleum. "My brother told me we must stop the production, as the warehouse is full of pipes that have not been sold yet. He was afraid of losing the savings we had invested in this factory. That is when I started moving between Riyadh and Jeddah to find a solution to this problem" Sheik Isam said.

Then his first decision was to resign from a promising career at the Ministry of Petroleum and moved to Jeddah to take charge of the sales and marketing for their factory’s products.

From there, the establishment of the National Marketing Company “NAMAT” came, as Sheikh Isam believed that these pipes needed exceptional marketing focused on presenting their value in the market and encouraging customers to buy them. It was a successful step, as the factory’s production over the past 50 years steadily increased from 800 tons to more than 120,000 tons per year.

After more than five decades of experience, Sheikh Isam's business has expanded from a humble factory to more than 40 companies serving the construction industry and more.  The group's business has transcended the borders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reach various regions in the Middle East and North Africa.