Al Bagi Sweets
Quality Proposition
Noora Salmeen Mabruk Bait Mabruk has worked hard to ensure the success of her business
It is a marvellous thing to have a profession related to Oman’s esteemed heritage, one which continues to infuse new life to ancient traditions and preserve it for future generations. As a child, Noora Salmeen Mabruk Bait Mabruk learnt from her mother how to make traditional Qash’at sweets. And when her mother grew older, Noora along with her sisters began making it for her, because it was her favourite sweet. The remaining quantities were sold to customers who liked this kind of sweet at parties and during Eid festivities.
Noora remembers, “The Dhofari Qash’at sweet is popular due to its delicious taste. I was fortunate to learn from my mother how to make it. Initially, we made it only for the family and kept a little aside to sell to customers. When my mother grew older and found it difficult to eat the hard Qash’at, we had to think of a way to make it easier for her, without changing the basic ingredients. We thought about grinding it and using the powder to make what was later known as the chewy Qash’at. Our elderly neighbours took a real liking to it, so we used this as a means to improve the traditional Dhofari Qash’at”.
After her mother’s passing, Noora and her family decided to continue the art of the home-made Dhofari Qash’at sweet in her honour. Therefore to meet the high demand of the sweet, which the family was renowned for, she decided to open a shop in the city of Salalah in 2013.
“We opened a shop in Salalah, dedicating ourselves to making this traditional Omani sweet, and working to make this new business a success. I applied for a loan of 7,000 Omani Riyal from the Sanad Fund at the time, which helped me pay the shop’s rent and necessary fit-out for the shop, and thus “Al Bagi Sweets” was born. In the beginning, my family and I took turns to be present in the store and we eventually hired a full-time worker to help us organise and pack the boxes of sweets”, she adds.
Noora heard about the Direct Support Programme provided by Zubair SEC on the radio. On the same day, she received an invitation from the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry branch in the Governorate of Dhofar to attend an event introducing that programme. She attended the event and registered as a member in Zubair SEC and simultaneously applied for the Direct Support Programme.
Noora continues, “I wanted to benefit from the consultations and guidance as well as the financial support, so joining the Direct Support Programme seemed like a good decision. I was confident that I would be chosen as one of the ten selected members due to the fact that I had a comprehensive feasibility study and an existing business that achieved good sales. When I was later informed that I was one of the chosen ten members for the year 2017 Programme, I knew I was provided an opportunity to better develop my business and take it to the next level”.
With the objective of improving the product range of sweets and expanding her customer base, Noora began making Qash’at with chocolate, and chewy Qash’at, also known as Toffee Qash’at. She also began enhancing product packaging and the instore experience while trialling new ideas and concepts for product development. “In one of the events organised by a governmental body, I provided all the three kinds of Dhofari Qash’at. Among the attendees were a group of Europeans who were quite impressed by the Qash’at and compared the chewy Qash’at to Toffee, which is what it came to be known. And ever since, I made it a habit to keep looking for new ideas to grow my business”, says Noora.
Expressing her appreciation, Noora says, “Zubair SEC has made great efforts in assisting me with the financial grant together with the consultations, workshops and valuable advice to help grow my business. I thank them for their tremendous and unlimited support. I would encourage entrepreneurs to focus on creativity and innovation in their business and to strive to be unique in the market”.
“Zubair SEC worked on developing the sweets brand to be more attractive to customers, as well as enhancing the manufacturing process. This was done by upgrading the retail shop with a new look and feel to keep it in line with modern marketing methods. In addition to increasing the production capacity for Al Bagi Sweets, Noora is also looking to add new retail outlets, in addition to her first store in the Dhofar Governorate.”, says Noora Salmeen Mabruk Bait Mabruk.