Muscat – Established and aspiring exporters from across Oman will come together on Wednesday, June 22, at Civil Aviation Authority Training Centre to discuss accessing new international markets.

Organised by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MoCIIP), in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Oman Business Forum and supported by HSBC and Sohar Port and Freezone, the next Tejarah Talks session – titled ‘Cracking the Export Market’ – will be moderated by H H Sayyid Dr Adham al Said, founder of The Firm.

Salem al Bortmany, CEO of Areej Vegetable Oils, Abdullah al Badri, CEO of Voltamp Energy, Ali Taqi Hassan, assistant general manager and head of Global Trade & Receivables Finance at HSBC, Faisal Ahmed Khan, COO of A’Saffa Food Processing, and Shayan Sumar, operations director of Apex Transgulf Manufacturing, will share their experiences and insights in this edition of Tejarah Talks.

According to Maymuna al Adawi, director in MoCIIP and organiser of Tejarah Talks, “Wednesday’s session has been designed specifically to help existing as well as potential Omani exporters network and guide them on how to improve their exports or export for the first time.”

Currently, there are several Omani SMEs and startups that have products and services to export but likely lack the know-how on where and how to start their export venture. ‘The June 22 event is an opportunity for these businesses to get advice from market experts as well as hear from successful exporters about their experience and learnings,’ a press release said.

“Our aim is to inspire more Omani SMEs to look at the opportunities afforded by exporting,” Maymuna emphasised.

Oman has its fair share of international success in exploiting new markets through exports, including car batteries, fibre optic cables, marble and sanitary ware. Companies producing value-added products and services export to over 130 countries. ‘Given that two thirds of growth in global trade comes from new entrants, there is constant demand for business advice and support in breaking into high-growth market economies and overcoming barriers.’

Despite the ongoing global pandemic, inflationary pressures and supply chain problems, Omani exports remain robust. In 2021, Oman’s non-oil exports to India rose to US$1.2bn, a jump of 172 per cent on 2020, while Oman-made exports to the US hit nearly US$500mn in February 2022, up 141 per cent from the same period last year – positive trade data that indicates increased demand for Omani goods and services in two of the world’s most competitive markets.

“These are very encouraging results,” Maymuna said. “Exports of goods and services already contribute a significant amount to Oman’s economy but it is vital we maintain and capitalise on this momentum in order to meet the challenges we face today and in the future. Now really is the time for local businesses to focus on the bigger picture and explore opportunities elsewhere, and the reality is they do not have to look too far to successfully diversify their export markets.”

Those interested to reserve a seat can email their name and contact details to TT@tejarah.gov.om

© Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).