Date: July 1, 2020
Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) has won the International Finance Award 2019 as “Most Innovative Entrepreneurship and SME Development Programme.” The awards ceremony was held in Dubai before the Covid-19 pandamic and was attended by C-level executives and senior management representatives in various business, economic and industrial fields predominantly from Middle East, Asia, Europe and Africa.
The International Finance Award recognises industry talent, leadership skills, excellence and distinction on an international platform. After careful consideration of nominations by a qualified research team, winners are declared on the strength of their performance and past accomplishments.
With more than six years of proven track record in contributing to the development of the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Sultanate and serving small businesses all across the country, Zubair SEC has been greatly endorsed and commended by the award jury for the social and economic impact it has been creating in the Sultanate year on year.
Mohammed Al Hasani, Chief Operations Officer (COO), The Zubair Corporation, and supervisor of Zubair SEC said, “Since its establishment, the main mission of Zubair SEC has been to contribute positively to bettering the livelihoods of Omani men and women by enabling them economically. We believe that individuals’ economic stability is a crucial part in the overall social stability in any society. As such, it is through the support that Zubair SEC has been extending to home-based, micro, and small businesses since 2013, that we believe we have managed to serve hundreds, build their capacity, and develop their business acumen to be able to grow with their businesses and widen their market reach. It is also through reaching out to thousands of non-members all around the country that we have been contributing to the development of an entrepreneurship culture and encourage self-employment”.
He added, “Our strategy has always been to explore new opportunities and introduce innovative services, programmes and initiatives, to keep bringing tremendous value to SMEs ecosystem in general and to Zubair SEC’s members in specific. We are proud to win this prestigious award for Most Innovative Entrepreneurship and SME Development Programme for the year 2019. This raises the challenge for us to keep developing and improving our offerings and services and we aspire that the impact we create will multiply and grow through the success and flourishing of the small businesses we support. We also owe a lot of gratitude to our partners from both the public and private sectors who have been working closely with us to scale up the achieved impact and collectively be able to extend better services. We look forward to keep nourishing those valued partnerships and together look into more innovative and impactful ways in serving the community”.
Understanding that a better equipped SME sector would contribute to a healthier economy, The Zubair Corporation (Z-Corp) established Zubair SEC in June 2013. The main aim of the centre has been to contribute to the development of the entrepreneurship culture in the Sultanate and support small and micro businesses. Zubair SEC is today a credible reputable institution that has created significant social impact across the past six years and enabled many Omanis from all across the country to have better livelihoods through economic empowerment.
Since its establishment, Zubair SEC strategized and worked effortlessly to become the reference of choice for guidance and advisory services in starting and managing one’s business and achieving sustainability and scalability. It has always believed in collective impact and as such nourished and maintained strong collaboration and partnerships with various entities from both the public and private sectors that share the mandate for supporting entrepreneurship and SMEs in the country.
Direct Support Programme
Zubair SEC’s Direct Support Programme has been rewarding members who prove through work with the Centre their commitment towards success and dedication in applying the consultancy and advice provided to them by the Zubair SEC team. Accordingly, ten selected members for the Direct Support Programme every year receive additional direct advisory and consultancy services as well as a financial grant to support their businesses. The centre has been running this programme for 5 years, and is about to announce the new ten members for 2020 in the coming few months.
Business Advisory Services
Zubair SEC offer a range of business advisory services tailored to meet the business growth needs of its member’s small enterprises. This is the strongest service of Zubair SEC as it positions itself as a solution-based advisory centre. Much of the work involves advising its members on regional and economic strategies, benchmarking their business delivery, mapping both demand for and supply of their business concepts, and developing practical training and development tools for use across a wide range of business environments.
Tajseer Programme for Business Development
Zubair SEC launched the ‘Tajseer’ programme which is a business development platform aimed at bridging between small businesses and large companies in the Sultanate to enable entrepreneurs to find opportunities for developing their businesses with some of the leading companies in Oman. The initiative offers an opportunity to network between representatives and decision makers of both sides, in a way that could result in positive outcomes for all. The programme also encourages and facilitates cross-selling amongst SMEs.
‘Tajribati’ Dialogue Initiative
Zubair SEC’s ‘Tajribati’ dialogue initiative serves as a unique platform to connect industry experts with start-up owners and entrepreneurs to exchange views, discuss common challenges and share best practices. The monthly ‘Tajribati’ discussion sessions have been gaining very good momentum year on year. Members and non-members of Zubair SEC keenly await the session to share insight with their fellow entrepreneurs, discuss matters of concern, share knowledge and experience, and network in a friendly constructive atmosphere.
It may be recalled that Zubair Corporation (Z-Corp) in 2017 had won the International Finance Magazine (IFM) Awards in the ‘Best Social Economic Development Company’ category for its initiative Zubair SEC, which has been promoting a culture of entrepreneurship in Oman. IFM Awards recognised Z-Corp for offering the “ultimate tribute to the spirit of entrepreneurship” and for setting “an example, not only in Oman, but worldwide.”