Muscat, December 11th 2014 – Membership of the OABC has doubled in 2014, reaching 100 members drawn from all sections of the private sector. This year, corporate membership has grown from 23 to 48 members, while premium members have increased from 17 to 30 members as OABC reaches out to more Omani businesses. In addition, this year OABC introduced new type of membership for SMEs which consists of 9 companies at the moment.

Ali Daud, Chairman of OABC said, “We are proud of the record growth we achieved in 2014. OABC started with 50 members in the beginning of this year and were able to reach 100 member-companies by December. Given the market size in Oman, this significant growth validates the value OABC is providing to its members and this will only make us more determined to further support and develop new ways to help our members do business in Oman. ”

Based on feedback from its members, the Council has adopted conducting surveys to improve the function of OABC and over the past year, organized more than 20 events including social gatherings, commercial project briefings and policy focused roundtable discussions. The Council has also held a variety of recruitment and networking events designed to create partnerships between US organizations and the Omani business community. Such events included hosting meetings with the Ministry of Manpower as well as a labor law workshop to address human resource challenges amongst companies. This year OABC aimed to enhance the social networking environment between its members. Last OABC speed networking event generated extremely positive feedback from participants and with the kind sponsorship of Oman Arab Bank and Qatar Airways two lucky members won tickets to US and Europe.

Building on this positive momentum into 2015, OABC will be launching new CSR initiatives for its members including resume writing workshops and interviewing skills development sessions for Omani students in cooperation with SQU. The Council will also plan dedicated SME seminars to enhance their networking and marketing skills which will also encourage business development. Additional activities will include more Speed Networking events, informal BBQs with the US Embassy and Government representatives. OABC also plans to encourage dialog with the Royal Oman Police and Customs and will revisit the topic of Intellectual Property in Oman throughout the coming year.

Formed to foster the development of commercial activity between the United States of America and the Sultanate of Oman, OABC membership is open to all companies in the country and welcomes everyone who sees value in engaging in business with the United States. For more information, please visit: www.oabcoman.org

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