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In line with its mission to foster the development of trade and commercial activity between Oman and the United States, the Oman American Business Center (OABC) hosted an informational webinar on March 3, entitled ‘Introduction to the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM),’ in partnership with the U.S. Embassy
Muscat.

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The session featured opening remarks by OABC Vice President Fouad Eid, H.E. Asila bint Salim al-Samsami, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, and U.S. Ambassador Leslie Tsou, followed by a presentation by Rick Angiuoni, Business Development Specialist and Regional Director of Africa, EXIM.

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Mr. Angiuoni discussed the International Buyers Program, with loan guarantees and direct loans for international companies, long-term financing of up to 14 years, and details on accessing specific opportunities. He also led the Q + A.

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If you were unable to attend or would like to review the session, please find the full recording here and the presentation here.

Rick also expressed his willingness to be contacted by members, so please save his address for your records: rick.angiuoni@exim.gov.

 

What is EXIM?

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the official export credit agency of the United States. EXIM supports the purchases of US-made capital equipment and ancillary services by creditworthy international buyers that cannot obtain credit through traditional trade finance sources. EXIM offers trade financing solutions and helps turn business opportunities into real transactions.
EXIM does not compete with private-sector lenders but provides financing products that fill the gaps in trade financing. It assumes country and credit risks that the private sector is unable or unwilling to accept. EXIM also helps to level the playing field for U.S. companies by matching the financing that other governments provide to their exporters. In more than 85 years of operation, EXIM has supported more than $400 billion of U.S. exports to international markets.
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In line with its mission to update, inform, and connect Oman’s business community, the Oman American Business Center (OABC) hosted ‘Workforce Planning: Key Trends in Immigration, Travel, and Labor Policies’, with speakers from Fragomen, CMS Oman, and Qatar Airways on February 22, for OABC members and special guests.
 
“The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly created significant obstacles for companies in Oman, especially regarding workforce requirements,” says Rebecca Olson, Executive Director of the OABC.  “There is an increased need to respond quickly and effectively to employee mobility challenges while continuing to comply with evolving travel requirements, increased focus on Omanization and precautionary restrictions. Planning is vital to ensure companies navigate this complex landscape,” says Shayan Sultan, Director of Fragomen.
 

Given the strategic importance of maintaining and refreshing the talent in Oman, the session examined current immigration and labor policies, and discussed what workforce planning and mobilization look like for companies now and in the near future.

Shayan Sultan, Director – Middle East and North Africa at Fragomen, Ajay Jacob, Regional Manager GCC at Qatar Airways, and Ben Ewing, Partner at CMS Oman, each presented in turn, leaving time for Q & A.

The Oman American Business Center (OABC) is best known for hosting high-level professional networking events and informational sessions for professionals across the Sultanate.

As the official affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Oman, the OABC is devoted to supporting the development of commercial relations between Oman and the U.S., and also focuses heavily on networking Oman’s business community through unique events, knowledge-sharing events, and programs year-round.

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On February 15, OABC partnered with five other AmChams in the GCC region for a live webinar on “Intellectual Property Law Updates in the Region, including GCC Patent Office Developments” with Peter C. Mehravari, U.S. Intellectual Property Attache for Middle East and Africa Patent Attorney.

Peter has also offered one-to-one support for OABC members. Members that wish to reach out to him, please email us for the contact details.

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On February 10th, OABC partnered with five other AmChams in the GCC region for a live webinar on “U.S. Political Panel Forum”. 

The event offered a bi-partisan look at the current U.S. political landscape, and included an interactive Q + A session. 

In case you missed it or would like to review the session, you can access the webinar recording here. In addition, here are two articles that are relevant to the U.S. Political Panel discussion:
 
Polarization and the Decline of Economic Voting in American National Elections” co-authored by Dr. Joseph Ura, one of the panelists.
 

Michigan’s Top Republican Falsely Calls U.S. Capitol Attack A ‘Hoax” from Dr. Clyde Wilcox as a follow up to one of the discussions.

 

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OABC’s first in-person, outdoor, networking event of 2021: OABC’s App Launch Event was sponsored by Hormuz Grand Muscat, A Radisson Collection Hotel.
The evening brought together over 100 members of the Oman American Business Center (AmCham Oman), from member executives to Oman’s decision-makers. The evening allowed to connect with members of the OABC, old and new, over canapes, drinks and a stunning venue.

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The new application was sponsored by HSBC, a Premium Member of the OABC.
We also give special thanks to our Safety Partner: The National Detergent Company for sponsoring sanitisation and cleaning products for the evening, and for every member to take home.
As a special treat, every member that downloaded the app also received a dinner for two, sponsored by Bomba Burrito.
This high-level business networking evening presented the OABC mobile application launch, complete with raffle prizes and a showcase of the member benefit program. As always, we also give thanks to our beverage sponsor, OUA, for providing the drinks for the evening.

 

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As all OABC’s events, the night was a huge success for executives and decision-makers from all nationalities to meet, build relationships, learn, and discuss key matters of interest to Oman’s business community.
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On January 20, OABC Members were invited to attend ‘Business Opportunities with the U.S. Navy in Oman’ in partnership with the U.S. Embassy Muscat.

 Ambassador Tsou opened a virtual event with over 60 local companies to discuss business opportunities with the U.S. Navy. The OABC was proud to partner with the U.S. Embassy Muscat and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the purpose of this event. 

 We are thankful to both partners, today’s speakers, and those who asked questions and contributed to this informative session.

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On December 14, OABC Members were invited to attend ‘Update on Oman’s foreign investment law’, in partnership with Dentons.

A Premium Member of OABC, Dentons was one of the earliest international firms to open its doors in Oman and has steadily grown to become the largest international law firm operating in the Sultanate. Dentons are truly in and of the community, with long-standing relationships with local business communities, governments and regulatory authorities.

The team offered useful information based on experiences spent advising on the new law, and shared a copy of their presentation with Members. We give special thanks to Jamie Gibson, Riaz Haq and Yaqdhan Al Busaidi, and the Dentons team for their willingness to address the OABC and share valuable time and effort in preparing this session for us.

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On November 17th, OABC partnered with the U.S. Mission to the UAE and other sister Amchams in the region for a live webinar “What Comes Next: A Post Election Review” with Eric Ham.

In case you missed it or would like to review the session, you can access the webinar recording here and download the presentation slides here.
Mr. Eric Ham expressed his willingness to be contacted, you may do so at eric.ham@verizon.net should you wish to send him your questions related to the event.
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On October 26th, OABC partnered with Amcham Bahrain to present a live webinar on U.S. Franchise Opportunities in the GCC, and this included an introduction to international franchise experts and information about U.S. brands interested in entering Oman or finding partners within the GCC.

The presenters discussed the impact of covid-19 on franchising and highlighted recent trends to be aware of as you explore opportunities in 2020.

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“Sure, I have a LinkedIn,” is easy to say, and a profile is a cinch to set up.  But how can a professional take an average profile or company page to the next level on Oman’s fastest-growing professional platform?

The Oman American Business Center (OABC) hosted its first-ever LinkedIn training session for executives and business people in Oman on Tuesday, October 20, from 4 pm – 5 pm.
The session, entitled ‘LinkedIn Hacks with Mohammed Al Tamami’ helped equip leaders and businesses as they leverage LinkedIn for their daily work life and business.

The online event was open to both OABC Members and guests from the public, and addressed several topics, including why and how LinkedIn is different from other social media platforms; the basics of LinkedIn, how to create a clear LinkedIn strategy; understanding social media analytics, and troubleshooting challenges.
“Equipping individuals with clarity and getting people more comfortable with themselves as they leverage LinkedIn for their purposes is by far the most important and foundational aspect of this webinar and conversation,” says Mohammed Al Tamami, the main partner and presenter.

Mohammed Al Tamami is a Media Planning & Strategy graduate who spent 10+ years of his career working on global consulting and advisory assignments on innovation, technology and strategy, and is the Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of a young and upcoming financial technology start-up that provides AI-driven capabilities for the financial services industry.

“We are extremely excited to support our members and guests by covering a topic that is especially appropriate for 2020. Like it or not, we’re living in a new digital world of ZOOM and online networking.  As the use of LinkedIn continues to grow in Oman and the region, every one of us has room to improve our strategy and tactics. As always, we are looking to help our members — CEO’s, business owners and other professionals— grow their networks and their business, to enhance their profiles, expand their reach, and make essential connections — in this case, online,” says Rebecca Olson, Executive Director of the OABC.
All members of the OABC received a free one-to-one consultation service with Mohammed Al Tamami after the session.