Twitter and Oman

I would like to thank the creators of Twitter for creating such a wonderful tool that boosted local businesses and websites in Oman. I am talking about Kiwi cafe and OmanTippers.com as an example, both started up not even 6 months and are famous spot.

Thanks to ReTweet (RT) feature, it spreading like fire. People are sharing their experiences, feedback and mentioning them. Thanks to Twitter, Oman became well known country not just a neighboring country to United Arab Emirates or Dubai (a.k.a. the sin city).

Thank you to the users from Oman for spreading the word, without you'll,  our local businesses wouldn't have boomed fast. Thank you all for using other social media such as Facebook and instagram.

Social Network is booming

Twitter, the latest free social networking service has taken a whole new level, I don't know how to explain it, but allot of local organizations in Oman had adopted it because it simple and fast to handle.

The local organizations taken Twitter and its fellow Facebook as a platform to grab more of clients to use it products and services.

A leading local bank in Oman, which has its existence in AGCC and International market directly and strategically has adopted facebook to promote its product.

One way, its not easy to manage such social network tool for business, only if they have a proper strategy, because those tools are not for promotions but also a customer care and the business also must able to handle the queries.

I wish to see more local organization presents on Twitter and facebook, despite facebook has helped to promote Omani women micro-enterprises.

Save our selves! Save earth!

As Oman going green, Oman Economic Review presents OER Green Awards, the first recognition for companies, institutions and individuals in Oman who contributes towards environment. 'Not too late! Save our earth..!' @ OEROnline.com/GreenAwards

COMEX Goes Green is the slogan for Oman’s largest IT, Telecom & Technology Exhibition aka COMEX 2009. The eco-high tech friendly exhibition will May 25 – 29, 2009 at OITE. @ oite.com/comex

Snips from news

friendi Mobile has lunched its services in Oman.
H H Tania Al Said won Personality award at GGC Environment Award.
Oman Mobile Vs Nawras in Mobile Broadband internet.

On 21 of March

A day or a date can be an ordinary day for some people but others are can be special as an event or birthday or anniversary, etc.

Today, 21 March 2009, is a momerable day or a milestone for National Day Bank of Oman, as it unveiled it's new logo, thanks to Kishor Cariappa, has posted an article about it under the title 'National Bank of Oman gets new logo'.

Arround 6:45 pm Oman Timing, their website was revealed with the new logo. Most of their branches are/been renovated for embracing the new corporate identity.

Beside that, today is Mother's day.

What do you think about it?

Randoms/ Locals

Some rondom thoughts, and news to share it with you.

Racist Comment
I have received several junk mail from several people in different times about Tommy Hilfiger’s racist comments against state that blacks and Asians shouldn't wear his clothes.

It turned out its not true. Most of us don’t check or verify if the news is true or not, we are too emotional.

Walls have ears too
When someone wants to talk to someone privately over the phone, he automatically tends to look for a private space/ room so no one can hear the conversation.

Allot of people don’t realise that the walls are not sound proof and it may not be as thick as they think, as the sound still goes through it and anyone who is close by at the other side of wall can hear from 10% to 75% of the conversation.

Local Web Sites

• For bicycle fan in Oman, Frans Kohler has launched 'Oman Bicycle', a showroom in Al Khuwayr providing world-class sports cycles as well as after-sales servicing and spare parts. For More information, go to OManbiCycle.com.
• From Sultanate of Oman, Information Technology Authority (ITA), in association with the Ministry of Social Development, launched an official online donations portal OnlineDonations.org.om.

Oman Slammed For Name Distortion

An interesting article,

15 January 2009
Iran's Physical Education Organization sent letters to Foreign Ministry officials protesting distortion of the name of the Persian Gulf by Oman.

Organizers of the ongoing 19th football cup of the Persian Gulf littoral states in Oman used a fake name for the Persian Gulf for the matches that started in the sultanate on Jan. 7, IRNA reported.

Sending separate letters to the ministry's Persian Gulf director as well as its Press and Information office, they called for following up the case by "immediate diplomatic measures."

It was stressed in the letters that the "Persian Gulf would remain Persian Gulf forever as attested by history". In mid December, a British archaeologist said that the name "Persian Gulf" has historic roots and any attempt at changing it is irrelevant.

"All historical texts have cited 'Persian Gulf' by the same name and world's reputed academic circles recognize it by the same title," Lloyd Weeks said during Iran's 10th International Archaeology Conference.

Weeks said that he has never heard "Persian Gulf" to be mentioned by any other name during his scientific career.

The latest distortion comes as the United Nations secretariat on many occasions has requested its staff to use only the full name of 'Persian Gulf' as the standard geographical designation. The world body also issued two editorial directives in 1994 and 1999, mentioning that only the term 'Persian Gulf' should be used in UN documents.

© Iran Daily 2009

Oman Air gets silky with Technology

The year 2009, Oman Air is giving a multiple gifts to its loyal and prospective clients, as soon Oman Air makes travel hassle-free via web check-in and mobile check-in.

Its clients now will able to check-in via four ways:

• using mobile phone,
• using Internet,
• using airport kiosks, and
• at the airport where customer service agents are equipped with mobile check-in technology.

The facility will start later this month January 2009. The four new and innovative check-in options at will be at Muscat and other key airports.

Above all, Oman Air will first in the Middle East region to offer such multi-facility.

Bits and Bytes

• Today, January 5, Royal Oman Police (ROP) celebrates Police Day.
• Oman3D started the year by changing it's name to “Republic of Code”, and started a 'Republic of Code Logo Competition'.
• Dr. Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz the new CEO of Bank Sohar.
• I have heard rumours that hundreds of expatriates in Oman been laid off in major local companies and more soon to follow, is it true?

Eid Greetings

Eid Mubarak to everyone around the world, as 8th December 2008 marks the first day of Eid around the world except Oman, as the government announced 9th December 2008 marks the first day of Eid.


Bits and Bytes

• The late Omani pioneer, to be honoured in Syria in the field of invention, research and academics.
• Moroccan families sell their furniture to buy goat for Eid celebration.
• The Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources to adept the e-payment system.
• 20% cap for down payments for financing your car via Finance companies as per Central Bank of Oman (CBO) new regulation.
• An unusual incident, were a bird followed the dead body for 350 km from Macca to Mahd al-Dhahab District in KSA were the body was buried as its his home town. The bird set near the head of the deceased man and was moving his head front and back while people were reading verses from the holy Quraan. It has been said it indicates the good deeds of the deceased man.

AIESEC in Oman

The following article is from TheWeek Issue 297, the whole purpose is to develop the local workforces and explore them to the internationally, which will benefit both the individual and the country.

One of the world's largest international organisations for students, AISEC, is all set to start operations in Oman with an innovative foreign internship programme.


At 19, Saqib Khan is like any other student within the Majan College premises in Muttrah but for one thing. Come February next year this third year student of computer networking will be off to Keio in Japan for a three-month internship with Kiban, a technology company dealing with e-commerce. Saqib, will be the first person rom Oman to go on an internship arranged by the international youth organisation AIESEC.

He will be the first of many hundred more young people from the sultanate who will be off in the coming years on an exchange programme that opens the doors for Omani youth to develop their skills abroad. At the same time, AIESEC’s programme will offer local busines-ses a chance to tap into an international talent pool especially for temporary roles.

“At the moment, AIESEC, with 32,000 active members, is present in more than 108 countries and territories around the world. We have a deep history in the Middle East-North Africa region, dating back to the 1960s,” said Brett Borkan, director of business development, AIESEC official extension to Oman.

“With student chapters in Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Iran, Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Oman is logically the next step in our efforts,” he added.

Although AIESEC has been present in Oman for some time now, their official launch is expected to take place at year-end. The organisation itself, which is run entirely by students and recent graduates of higher education, was launched 60 years ago in 1948 in Stockholm with just seven member countries.

The aim was to promote peaceful relations between these seven nations in a world fresh out World War II. In its first year the then fledgling organisation arranged 89 traineeships. Interestingly enough, many of these early internship exc-hange programmes were between France and Germany, a country that had occupied much of France during the war.

But how does all this make a difference to people in Oman? Kenneth MacFarlane, senior country partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), which is AIESEC’s global partner and also its local partner in the sultanate, has this to say. “PWC absorbs around ten Omanis into its permanent staff each year.

The main attraction for me is to get Omanis on outbound internships where they can gain international exposure,” he expl-ained, adding that this would help build a young national workforce that would come armed with knowledge of how things work outside their own country.

MacFarlane’s argument is vindicated by the views of inbound interns who are already working in Oman. “I have already worked with PWC in Mexico City. I wanted to see how the firm operated elsewhere so that I could learn about its global operation methods,” said 25-year-old Rebeca Rubi Alvarado, a student of accounting from Mexico. Yet, the idea of overseas internships is not the only attraction for AIESEC’s members.

A non-profit global organisation run like a business house, it gives its members the opportunity to try their hand at being professionals before even exiting the academic world. “Firstly, I enjoy the sense of responsibility that comes with being a key member of the organisation. Secondly, as the vice-president of marketing, I get practice in reality what I learn in the confines of the classroom,” said Hasna Sultan, who recently graduated from the Modern College of Business and is the vice- president of marketing for AIESEC’s local committee in Bausher.

For Rashad al Jamali, president, local committee, Bausher, AIESEC, it was the whole professional aura of its members that drew him in. “I got to know about AIESEC when Brett and a friend were promoting the organisation in our college. At the time I thought the whole thing seemed a lot more professional than anything else,” he said.

Since then Rashad has attended two international AIESEC conferences, one in Bahrain and another in Tunisia, and the only thing that he thinks could be a deterrent to more people joining the organisation is the need for time management. “It can get difficult to manage time on occasion, especially during exams,” he said, adding that he would nevertheless recommend becoming a member.

Meanwhile Saqib’s initial excitement about going to Japan has given way to apprehensions about the change in environment. “Language is probably going to be a big problem. Unlike in Oman where most people speak in English, everything in Japan is in Japanese,” he explained, adding with a nervous smile, “And I don’t know a syllable of Japanese.” According to 26-year-old Kristina Mader, a student of finance and tax audit from Germany, the only way to get over such apprehensions is to take the plunge and find out what the situation on the ground is really like rather than depend on second hand experience or the opinions of others.

“Back home, everyone has a negative opinion of the Middle East region because of what they read or see in the media. But no one really knows what things are like here. Only after coming here do you realise that not all of the Middle East is a conflict zone,” she said.

Besides, according to Adriana Marinaro, senior manager, assurance/business advisory services, PWC, being an AIESEC member might even work out in your favour when it comes to employment.

“Having AIESEC on your CV immediately communicates that you are more likely to be a dedicated employee,” said Adriana, who was a member of the organisation for three years and is now coordinating PWC’s activities with AIESEC in Oman. So, does being a member of AIESEC mean a ticket to overseas internships, fancy designations and an easier route to a job? Not quite. “You could either choose to be a passive member or someone who is actively involved. Most people who benefit from their time as AIESEC members are the latter,” said Adriana.

After all you get what you give. Email BrettB@aiesecom.org or log on to www.aiesec.org for more details

H E Dr abdullah al sarmi undersecretary, ministry of higher education, speaks to THEWEEK

What will AIESEC be able to accomplish for Oman and its youth?
AIESEC, the world’s largest international student organisation and the second largest organisation registered with the United Nations (UN), has taken recent steps in a bold initiative to bring new human development opportunities to the youth in the Arab region.

In Oman, AIESEC will work with higher education institutions to give students the opportunity to participate in its empowering programmes. These would offer students the chance to participate in conferences with youth from across the region and the world and in skills training from local and global businesses in Oman.

In addition, they will help develop a sense of community and giving back through cultural programmes; foster a greater understanding of what is happening in the Omani society and in the world. What exactly is the ministry’s role in the establishment of AIESEC in Oman?

The ministry has already liaised with the government sectors involved in this regard. AIESEC is now registered in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, as an independent body, and can exercise its functions, one of which is to sponsor visits of inbound interns to Oman.

The ministry has also encouraged public and private higher education institutions to participate and contribute with AIESEC in order to activate its noble functions. What sets AIESEC’s internship programme apart from others? The exchange programme will open the doors for Omani youth to develop their skills in any of the countries where AIESEC currently operates, and at the same time give Omani businesses the chance to access an international talent pool to fulfill their business needs in temporary roles while building future local capacity.