In the International Terminal, a monument to movement, he sat, vibrating, going nowhere.
-- Narration (chapter 1)

Importance: This quotation is the final sentence of Chapter 1, the anecdotes of which emphasize the sense of directionlessness that Mokhtar felt in his early 20s. This quotation emphasizes that feeling of lacking purpose, and it foreshadows Mokhtar's personal story as one of finding a sense of purpose and meaning in his business and humanitarian pursuits.

Start a real business, and all that will happen. Education about Yemen will come through customers’ engagement with the product. And in the meantime you’ll employ actual Yemeni people.
-- Ghassan Toukan (chapter 12)

Importance: This is advice that Ghassan Toukan—a successful entrepreneur and friend of Mokhtar—gave to Mokhtar as Mokhtar formed his initial business plan. Toukan emphasizes the idea that socioeconomic renewal and cultural engagement can be unified with entrepreneurship, and Mokhtar's personal story appears to affirm that idea.

Mokhtar’s head felt heavy and...
-- Narration (chapter 13)