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This week the Oman American Business Center welcomed more than 160 members to their annual iftar hosted at the Crowne Plaza Muscat.  OABC members were joined by 10 talented artists from Adatee Hyatee, a group of Omani artists who each live with a physical disability. Also present was U.S. Embassy Muscat’s Chargé d’Affaires, Junaid Munir and many U.S. Diplomats.

The evening started with special remarks by OABC’s Vice President Fouad Eid and the U.S. Embassy Muscat’s Chargé d’Affaires, Junaid Munir. Wafa Al Harthi of Adatee Hyatee was the evening’s keynote speaker. Wafa, an award-winning artist and illustrator, shared with members her incredible story of perseverance and dedication.

The highlight of the evening was a silent art auction by artists of Adatee Hyatee. 36 beautiful pieces of art were on display for members to enjoy and bid on while networking on the terrace of the Crowne Plaza. All proceeds from the art sales went directly to the artist.

As the official affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce in Oman (AmCham Oman), the OABC promotes understanding, partnerships & other matters of mutual economic interest between business communities in Oman and the United States. Formed in 2003, the OABC’s mission is to foster the development of commercial activity between Oman and the United States.  With 30 events annually and over 180 member companies, OABC is Oman’s most active business council and networking group. The Oman American Business Center (OABC) is best known for hosting high-level professional networking events and informational sessions for professionals across the Sultanate.

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, the Oman American Business Center hosted one of their most popular networking events, Taco Tuesday, hosted at the residence of U.S. Embassy Muscat’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Junaid “Jay” Munir.

This was the DCM’s final Taco Tuesday as he will be moving on to his next post. Jay has been an incredible supporter and friend of the OABC during his time in Muscat and many people were there to show their gratitude. More than 100 OABC members and U.S. Embassy representatives spent the evening networking and enjoying delicious tacos.  The Oman American Business Center also welcomed many new faces there as many new companies have joined since the start of the year.

The evening was supported by OUA and Ahmed Zuhair from Bomba Burrito. A few lucky OABC members won fantastic raffle prizes provided by Muscat Pharmacy, Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara and MLS Oman.

As the official affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Oman, AmCham promotes understanding, partnerships & other matters of mutual economic interest between business communities in Oman and the United States. For 20 years, AmCham Oman’s mission has been to foster the development of commercial activity between Oman and the United States. With more than 25 events annually and over 160 member companies, AmCham Oman is Oman’s most active business center and networking group.

There was an air of intrigue and inspiration on the lawns of the Intercontinental Muscat as the OABC hosted the 2nd Annual Oman Sustainability Fair on February 28, 2023. This event was designed to bring the Oman community together to raise awareness and showcase local sustainable initiatives.

13 schools participated in this year’s event, together with SMEs, environmental groups and corporate entities. The highlight of the event was the high school competition which recognized students for efforts. The winners of the competition were:

Overall Winner – The Sultan’s School Eco Club – “Sustainable Agriculture”
Most Innovative Idea – British School Muscat – “MODA (Moisture Detecting Assistant)”
Best Presentation – Qurum Private School – “Zero Organic waste to Oman landfill Project (ZOOP)”
Most Practical Implementation – ABA Ecological Society (EcoSoc)

The competition was judged by a team of environmental experts, including Dr. Ali Akaak, board member of the Environment Society of Oman (ESO), Ulrich Emmer, Managing Director at Bauer Nimr and Elayna Locke, Marine Scientist, at Five Oceans Environmental Service.

Marla Valdez, OABC board member, who chaired the event, commented “it was truly inspiring to see the work done by the students, and it give us hope to see such passionate environmental champions”.

Fair visitors and participants spent the evening visiting the displays of the more than 25 participants while enjoying the music of Move Green.

The annual conference which welcomed AmCham board members, leadership teams and members from around the region, showcased opportunities for inter-regional cooperation and investments in specific sectors that have been advanced by the health crisis, as well as highlighting the important issues of economic diversity and sustainable development.

Industry leaders and senior government officials from the region and the U.S. addressed critical topics as advancing climate positive policies, renewable energy, decarbonization, financing green transition and advancing innovation in agriculture and water resources management.

The 1.5-day conference brought for numerous networking opportunities with AmCham representatives from Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Palestine, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Tunisia. Attendees enjoyed a special preview of the Grand Egyptian Museum followed by a gala reception. They also had a private tour of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The conference’s host and current AmCham MENA chair, produced a special report for the conference, MENA- U.S. Trade and Investment Report, Accelerating Green Investments in the MENA region, OABC members can access the report here.

AmCham Oman recently held a “Lunch & Learn” session entitled Debt Collection Disputes – a Legal Perspective at the Grand Hyatt Muscat on February 22, 2023.

This session was hosted by the team at ALC Lawyers & Counsels. ALC founder, Abdulredha Al Lawati, and Alaa Nizam, Head of Litigation, took our members through a thorough discussion of how debt effects everyone. They also covered the pros and cons on various approaches of settling debt collection in Oman through: amicable settlement, mediation, arbitration, and local judicial methods.

If you missed the event, members can find the presentation on our website under resources.

On January 11, OABC Members attended the”U.S. Chamber of Commerce for State Business 2022 webinar.

The program included keynote remarks from U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark followed by a panel featuring Dr. Alberta Bourla, Chairman and CEO of Pfizer where he discussed the innovation for a healthier and more prosperous World.

When COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill, pharmaceutical companies stepped up to the challenge, developed lifesaving treatments and vaccines, and delivered them around the globe. Against remarkable difficulties, their successes have created our strongest tools in beating back this pandemic, demonstrating that through creativity and resilience, businesses can solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.

Click here to view the full video.

On December 7, Members of the OABC attended “How Can the U.Ss Government Strengthen Your Business”, online. In this event, they explored the complimentary services offered by the U.S. government and additionally touch on advocacy, EXPO 2020, trade promotion, and data privacy followed by a Q&A session.

The online session included moderator Judith Barnett – President, The Barnett Group, Adam Shub – Acting Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. State Department, Jason Buntin – Director for Europe and Middle East Affairs, Office of the United States Trade Representative, Bruce J. Ellsworth – Commercial Attaché / Digital Attaché, Commercial Section, United States Consulate General in Dubai, UAE, Pete Mehravari – IPR Attache U.S. Intellectual Property Attaché for the Middle East and North Africa, and Pete Zube – Regional Export Control Officer, U.S. Department of Commerce.

On November 22nd, the Oman American Business Center (AmCham Oman) hosted The State of Logistics in Oman, Past, Present, and Future, sponsored by the Port of Salalah, at the Grand Hyatt Muscat. The event included a panel discussion, moderated by OABC Board Member, Shayan Sumar, and featured panelists Sunil Joseph, CCO, Port of Salalah, Omaima Bahajaj, Marketing and Communication Manager, Salalah Free Zone, and Aisha Al Saifi, Director Market Intelligence at ASYAD Group. During the discussion, the panelists talked about significant changes in Oman’s logistics sector over the past 5 years and shared their viewpoints of current logistics trends in the Sultanate and the GCC region, and their expectations of what may occur within the sector in the years ahead.

The panel discussion included three themes: the global shipping crisis and its impact on Omani businesses, Oman’s Vision 2040, and opportunities in the Omani logistics sector. 

Panelists touched on crucial topics such as fostering further utilization of the Free Trade Agreement between Oman and the U.S, various services that Port of Salalah now offers such as sea air cargo solutions and Flexhub, as well as Salalah’s value proposition, focused on a strong integrated ecosystem.

A big part of the Salalah Value proposition is the collaborative efforts of Port of Salalah, the Free Zone, ASYAD, Salalah International Airport, and various government entities to work collectively towards highlighting Salalah as a hub to attract foreign investment to the country. To improve the ease of doing business, these entities have worked hard in recent years to provide a one-stop-shop solution. 

Towards the conclusion of the panel discussion, the floor was opened to attendees for a Q&A session. Many eagerly asked engaging questions that were relevant to various sectors in Oman and private sector members found it highly beneficial to have direct discussion with government stakeholders to analyze logistics challenges and suggest solutions. 

 “We’ve received incredible feedback following this event,” says Rebecca Olson, Executive Director of the OABC.  “Attendees were extremely grateful for the opportunity for both the private and public sector to have in-depth discussion about the sector’s goals, Oman’s Vision 2040, past obstacles, and ideas for the way forward. The main takeaway mentioned repeatedly that we need more opportunities for key conversations like this.  All of these business leaders want the same thing — an incredible but possible goal — which is to make Oman, with its unique location in the region, a world leader in logistics.

“Salalah sits on the crossroads of USD 2.5tn global trade flows, with all key regional markets accessible within a week of sailing. This is turn offers the Sultanate the opportunity to develop its logistics footprint. Unlocking Salalah’s full potential could lead to contribution of ~$9 bn to Oman´s total GDP, along with 70,000 jobs added in Dhofar,” stated Sunil Joseph, CCO of Port of Salalah during the panel discussion. 

“The event was extremely useful and much needed: it was a very important time for the private sector to sit down with government stakeholders and decision-makers to discuss logistics challenges and how to work together on solutions. OABC did an excellent job facilitating today’s event: we need to see more of these types of discussion focused sessions to connect leaders within Oman’s key sectors.” — Yousuf Al Balushi, Smart Investment Gateway.

The Port of Salalah, the Salalah Free Zone and ASYAD continue to actively contribute to Oman’s Vision 2040, and each support Oman’s economic diversification strategy. 

Strategically located on the trade crossroads between Asia and Europe and serving the markets of East Africa, the Red Sea, the Indian Subcontinent and the Arabian Gulf – the Port of Salalah is operated by APM Terminals as part of the APM Terminals global terminal network.  The port operates both a container terminal and a general cargo terminal. 

www.salalahport.com

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