Al Diwan Dates
Focused Vision
Since starting his own independent business, Sultan Salim Rashid Al Sha’ei has continued to provide services but with a more evolved vision
To be able to achieve one’s dreams, strategic planning and clear-cut goals are necessary, alongside a strong determination to overcome any obstacles. As a popular local saying goes, ‘You do not need to be a fisherman to sell fish or benefit from the blessings of the sea, nor do you need to be a farmer to make use of the blessings a farm provides.’ Inspired by this concept, Sultan Salim Rashid Al Sha’ei from the Wilayat of Nizwa launched his business ‘Al Diwan Dates’.
In 2014, Sultan and his brothers co-founded their small date factory and ever since then they have worked diligently to develop the business. Commenting on his business endeavour, Sultan says, “We in fact do not have farms, but like any other Omani family, we adore palm trees and delicious dates. And since we have come to know that different Omani households have different tastes for this precious fruit, we decided to serve the community with high-quality; therefore we made a decision to open a small factory alongside a store to sell dates. We offered our service in two different ways; firstly by purchasing dates from farmers in Nizwa or other nearby Wilayats, and then storing, cleaning and packaging them to sell to customers; the second approach is by receiving dates from customers and restoring, cleaning and packaging them to give back to the customers at an initially agreed price”.
After Sultan started his own independent business, he continued to provide similar services but with a more evolved vision. As a result, he began looking for organisations to help him with advisory support and came across the Direct Support Programme offered by the Zubair SEC. He registered as a member of the Centre, and was successful in being selected as one of the ten members of the Programme in 2017.
Presently, there are few employees at Al Diwan Dates, along with a group of Omani women that work part-time, depending on the volume of orders. The business is authorised by official institutions. Seeking to grow his business, Sultan began investigating opportunities to export his products throughout the region, however it soon became clear that the competition within the date market is intense, which poses a challenge to the growth of his business.
Commenting on this challenge, Sultan adds, “The competition is quite formidable, but with expert assistance from Zubair SEC we have been able to differentiate our products by using new and innovative methods. We now produce dates with nuts and have upgraded the packaging process by displaying full production information, expiry dates, as well as all ingredients, so as to adhere to international quality standards. We expect that following this standardization will assist in increasing the market trust in the product and hence demand, both locally and regionally. In addition to product development, Zubair SEC has also helped me launch my first branch that will serve as the primary outlet for our factory production; the branch is located on the main road to Souq Nizwa and in front of Nizwa Fort. We have also launched our first branch in Wilayat Barka”.
Restructuring the business has given momentum to Sultan to further develop his business. He is now focusing on future growth, including integrating with small separate date factories to form a much larger one. He believes this will encourage the development of the Omani date industry and enable it to compete within local and regional markets, and create more job opportunities for citizens.
Extending his gratitude to Zubair SEC, Sultan notes, “I would like to thank Zubair SEC’s team for their limitless support. I encourage entrepreneurs to join the Centre so that they may also benefit from the free advisory services, workshops and various sessions that the Centre has to offer”. He adds by saying that seriousness and focus on one project are one of the key elements for success, and after achieving good progress, one can later consider other business endeavours.
“I was confident that my project had a lot of potential, but it was difficult to manage financially. I was unaware of the segregation of business capital and profit from my personal funds, and that the revenues of the project should be used solely for its development. Additionally, I lacked marketing strategies and relied only on date restoration and packaging back to clients. But after joining Zubair SEC and becoming a member of the Direct Support Programme, I was able to learn the most efficient and effective ways of running a business. The Centre also helped me create and launch my own brand, Al Diwan Dates, which boosted my marketing efforts and market positioning”, says Sultan Salim Rashid Al Sha’ei.