Date: December 13, 2016
With an objective to provide international exposure and expertise to SMEs in the Sultanate, the Embassy of Netherlands and Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) recently announced collaboration towards further development and support of Omani small business owners and to bring in global best practices.
A meeting was held at The Zubair Corporation to introduce and discuss the various areas for collaboration that would capitalize on the wide accumulated knowledge and expertise in The Netherlands when it comes to entrepreneurship development, as well as the local insight and reach through Zubair SEC in the Sultanate.
Initial collaboration will be in the form of an empirical research project to be conducted through a number of leading research and business development organisations in The Netherlands; the research aims at providing strategic direction for future business development strategies for SMEs and looks at the possible means of extending more support to meet the identified market needs and gaps.
Other collaboration areas would link to the recently launched initiative by Zubair SECcalled “Tajseer” which is a business development initiative that could help execute the part of the collaboration relating to bridging between Dutch companies and SMEs in Oman.
The recent meeting was attended by H.E. Ambassador Barbara Joziasse; Khalid Muhammad Al Zubair, Managing Director of The Zubair Corporation; Bart Beltman, Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of the Economic Department; Janet Breeze, Policy Officer at the embassy, and a number of executives and advisors from The Zubair Corporation and Zubair SEC.
Her Excellency Barbara Joziasse, Ambassador of The Kingdom of The Netherlands in Muscat said: “Oman and the Netherlands share a longstanding friendship and this means that if we can support each other, we will not hesitate to do so. Private sector development is one of those areas. SMEs are the backbone of our economy, of employment and of innovation. They generate around 190 billion Euros in exports for my country per year. It speaks for itself that we will use that vast expertise to stand by the side of Oman”.
She added: “It is a pleasure to cooperate with Zubair SEC. It is a professional organisation. We have observed that they leverage their network for the benefit of SMEs and start-ups in Oman. That is quite extraordinary: SMEs are not seen as competitors, but as co-builders of the economy. And indeed, a strong economy is beneficial for all and creates space for all. The Netherlands, like other European countries, just went through a couple of financial crises. Companies, society and government together took responsibility and it seems that we have pulled ourselves out of the crises now. There was no time for quarrelling while we were getting ourselves back on track. Shoulder to shoulder. I am convinced that Oman can do the same and better. You are remarkable and outstanding people. The private sector and especially SMEs provide many opportunities, so I will be thrilled when Omani SMEs find the right niche market and build viable businesses”.
Khalid Muhammed Al Zubair, Managing Director of The Zubair Corporation said: “We have been very privileged to be given this opportunity by The Embassy of The Netherlands in Muscat to explore areas for collaboration towards the development of Omani SMEs. Such an opportunity comes with tremendous value and a trust that we are most grateful for”.
He added: “Throughout discussions between our teams, many areas of collaboration came to light, considering the long history of business development in The Netherlands and the tremendous experience accumulated amongst various organisations there, especially with regards to research and business development. As such, Zubair SEC is very happy to extend its resources, local insight, and reach to help unfold this collaboration into tangible and impactful results that would bring much needed value to SMEs and companies in both countries”.
Zubair SEC is a social impact initiative by The Zubair Corporation, focusing on enabling and supporting Omani entrepreneurs and owners of start-ups and small businesses. The Centre today has more than 450 members from all across the Sultanate; it extends to them advisory services, serviced offices, capacity building activities, dialogue and advocacy platforms, and business development channels, amongst many other services.