Top Pakistani Business Leaders

top Pakistani Business Leaders in Oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

1

contents T o p Pa k i s ta n Bu s i n e s s L e a d e r s i n O m a n

16

Taimur Malik Partner, Curtis Oman

36

Syed Ali Naveed Arshad Partner, SASLO

20

Mohammad Rafique Chaudhry CFO, A’Saffa Foods

40

Mohammed Munir Executive Director, Ittfaq Group

24

Nadeem Azeemi Managing Director, Sohar Poly Industries

44

Syed Haris Ali Managing Director, AZ Engineers

28

Usman Anwar CFO, ACWA Power

48

Syed Birjees Zaidi Managing Partner, Ilham Business Group

32

S.A. Faisal CEO, Paneltech International

52

Akhtar Zaib Managing Director, Kalsoft

4

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

56

Adnan Haroon CFO, Standard Chartered Bank

60

Mohammed Arif Barakat Managing Director, Gulf Neon Signs

64

Zafar Yasin CTO, ACWA Power

68

Javed Mustafa CFO, Dhofar Generating Co

72

Salman Pervez Team Leader, Nomac Oman

Muscat Media Group An ISO 9001:2008 certified company Post Box: 770, Postal Code: 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman Editorial shahzad@timesofoman.com Advertising 24726600/24726666 ext 435/193 richard@timesofoman.com aziz@timesofoman.com Circulation 24726600/24726666 Ext 135/136 circulation@timesofoman.com

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

5

editor’s note A window to a community’s contribution

P

akistan and Oman are bound by common culture, religion and historical connections. Many Omani citizens have their roots and relatives in Pakistan and vice versa. Though the two brotherly countries established their diplomatic relations in 1972, history ties the two people into a relationship spanning over centuries. Such strong bonds of brotherhood are backed by the leaders’ willingness to translate this into stronger economic cooperation for mutual benefit. Though the volume of bilateral trade does not still reflect such closeness, steps are being taken to infuse new life into economic ties between the two countries. The biggest plus is the presence of a large Pakistani community in Oman.

Over the years, a significant contribution has been made to Oman’s growth and development by Pakistani businessmen, Omani businessmen of Pakistani origin and top Pakistani executives either running their own businesses or working in key Omani and multinational companies. This book will showcase some of those business leaders who have made a mark with their powerful presence or impressive performance. Apart from making a significant contribution to the Sultanate’s economy, they have also supported the government’s policy of Omanisation by lending a hand in employment generation as well as the development of skilled and unskilled human resources. These Pakistani business leaders have also been playing a leading role in certain sectors of the economy like law, banking, industry, power generation, construction, building material and others by putting their vast and varied experience acquired from around the world to good use for the growth of Oman’s private sector.

Though Oman has a much larger presence of Pakistani business community, we have showcased some of them here to highlight the community’s role, success and contribution to Oman’s rise as a modern state.

Shahzad Raza

6

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

message

Naheed Naveed Atif Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Pakistan

Pak-Oman relations would continue to grow stronger

C

onsidered as our fifth neighbour by virtue of shared maritime boundaries, Sultanate of Oman holds specific significance for Pakistan because of its geographical proximity, its location and the presence of a workforce of more than 250,000 Pakistanis, who are playing a significant role in Oman’s growth and development as a modern country.

Pakistan and Oman enjoy cordial, friendly and historical relations which go back not only to Independence of Pakistan but the era of Indus civilisation. I am sure the relationship between the two countries would grow further as the leadership of Oman and Pakistan wants these brotherly ties to translate into greater economic cooperation. Pakistani and Omani business communities have a serious role to play in enhancing these trade and economic ties.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the charismatic and visionary ruler of Oman, has pursued a welfare oriented domestic policy for the people of Oman resulting in peace, security and stability in the Sultanate. No wonder, he has turned Oman into a developed, tolerant and coherent society within a short span of 45 years. His policies have earned His Majesty the Sultan worldwide acclaim, winning the Omani people more respect.

The bilateral relations between the two countries are built on strong foundations underpinned by frequent high-level visits.

The historic visit of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to Pakistan in April 2001 is a milestone and key catalyst

8

of ever growing exchanges between our two countries.

This was followed by the visit of Yousuf Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, to Pakistan on December 4, 2008.

The visit of Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, then Prime Minister of Pakistan, to Oman (December 27-28, 2010) on the occasion of the Sultanate’s 40th National Day celebrations was a major milestone. Rehman Malik, Pakistan’s Minister of Interior, visited Oman as the Special Envoy of Pakistan’s President from November 20-21, 2011 and it was during this visit that a grant of $100 million for development-cum-investment projects in Pakistan was announced. Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Chairman, Senate of Pakistan along with a delegation of senators, paid an official visit to the Sultanate from December 23-25, 2014 on the invitation of Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Manthari, Chairman, State Council.

Economic cooperation between the two countries is governed by an agreement on “Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation” signed in March 1986. A Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) has been established under this agreement which covers many areas of cooperation. The last (sixth) session of the JMC was held in March 2010 in Islamabad and the 7th session will be convened in Muscat.

Recently Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) and Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up of Joint Business Council (JBC) in November 2015. It is expected that bilateral exchanges would be enhanced in order to promote economic relations between the two countries.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

message

Yahya bin Said bin Abdullah Al Jabri Chairman, Pak-Oman Investment Company

Successful Pakistanis should inspire more entrepreneurs to explore Oman’s market

O

man and Pakistan share a long brotherly history of cultural, economic and political relations. Both the countries have exchanged human resources, goods and services over a long period of time as well as invested in strategic projects for mutual benefit. I am really pleased to see the role of Pakistani businessmen and professionals in the economic development and diversification of the Sultanate of Oman. Pakistani community plays a vibrant role in creating a multicultural and robust society which is one of the hallmarks of modern Oman. In order to harness the immense socio-economic potential which both the countries have been bestowed with, it is important to carry out the business to business and people to people exchange on a regular basis.

Pak Oman Investment Company was established under the vision and guidance of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to promote economic and business opportunities between both the brotherly countries.

It was established as a joint venture between Oman and Pakistan in 2001 and since then it has success-

10

fully enhanced business and investment between both the countries. As a Chairman of this company, I am pleased to say that we are one of the most successful joint venture development financial institutions.

I would like to emphasize that the trade and business associations of both the countries should carry out sector focused and project specific roadshows among the targeted market segments to effectively translate ideas into valuable projects. We at Pak Oman Investment Company always extend our full support and cooperation to any viable economic project undertaken for development of both the countries.

Pakistani businessmen and professionals enjoy a successful track record in Oman along with the traditional hospitality of Omani people. This should pave the way for more entrepreneurs to explore Oman market which is aiming for economic diversification and sustainable development in line with the vision of His Majesty the Sultan. I take this opportunity to appreciate the role of Pakistani businessmen and professionals in the economy of Oman and reassure that Pak Oman Investment Company would continue to play an active role in furthering the national and economic interests of both the countries.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Time to take Pak, Oman trade ties to next level

By Shahzad Raza

P

akistan and Oman have traditionally enjoyed robust relations with close cooperation in a number of key areas.

However, trade relations between the two brotherly countries have a lot of scope to expand further.

Despite deep defence and cultural cooperation in the past, economic ties have largely remained on the back burner. The annual trade volume between the two countries with shared maritime boundaries has been below $300 million in the last few decades.

The scenario changed for the better in 2011-2012 when for the first time OmanPakistan bilateral trade crossed the $300 million mark, reaching over $357 million, according to the figures provided by State Bank of Pakistan. The next year proved to be even better when the two countries saw a flurry of trade activity with the volume reaching a record high of $608.323 million in 2012-13.

It was in 2013-14 that bilateral trade broke the elusive $1 billion mark with Pakistan significantly increasing the volume of its imports from Oman. There was less trade activity the next year as the volume of trade decreased to $887.728 million.

However, the economic cooperation has

12

since seen a slowdown and the current trade figures are not very flattering.

Realising this, the two countries brought the focus back on increasing economic cooperation, specially between the private sectors. “Governments of the two countries have set up Pakistan-Oman Joint Business Committees for exclusive focus on developing business and trade relations. Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) for the establishment of Joint Business Council in November 2015 to enhance private sector collaboration in order to strengthen trade ties,” says Naheed Naveed Atif, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Pakistan in Muscat.

During the foreign secretary level talks in April 2015, Pakistan and Oman agreed to

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

further strengthen cooperation, particularly in the fields of economy, trade, manpower, defence and security. The meeting emphasized the need for greater interaction between the private sectors.

“Oman and Pakistan are geographically very close. Karachi, the economic hub of Pakistan, is closer to Muscat than Salalah.

We need to increase the frequency of delegation visits to enhance trade relations,” Nawabzada Aminullah Khan Raisani, former Pakistan ambassador to Oman, said in an interview to a local magazine in 2011.

Experts believe that the potential to expand economic cooperation is huge.

“Oman and Pakistan have a long history of trade and business relations. This has been mainly focused on food, energy and textile sectors. However, the share of bilateral trade in the overall trade volume of both the countries is still low which indicates that great untapped potential exists to enhance trade and investment between both the countries,” feels Noaman Abdul Majid, Country Manager, Pak-Oman Investment Company.

According to Asim Arif Suleman, Chairman, Pakistan Oman Business Council at FPCCI, being physically the closest Arab country, Oman’s location has great strategic importance for Pakistan.

“With current bilateral trade relations of $656 million there has been growth

A BIG STEP FORWARD: Redha Juma Mohammed Ali Al Saleh, vice-chairman OCCI, right, and Asim Arif Suleman, chairman, Pak-Oman Business Council at FPCCI, signing the MoU to strengthen trade ties in Muscat.

but still a big potential for increase exists. With the completion of the $45 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan will become a regional powerhouse within a decade, offering massive opportunities for Omani investors. Pakistan offers one of the most investor-friendly regulatory environments in the world with no restrictions on foreign ownership, repatriation of profits or hiring of expatriates along with low corporate tax rates and tax incentives for strategic investments.

Pakistan has a solid industrial base and agro sector, which makes it an ideal investment destination for Omani businessmen, specifically in the fields of mining, manufacturing, food processing, farming, textiles, gems and jewellery and tourism and hospitality,” explains Asim, who signed the MoU with OCCI on behalf of FPCCI last year.

“Pakistan’s top exports to Oman in 2015 comprised rice, fresh meat, fruits and vegetables, among others, and totalled $220 million, with areas of potential being sports and surgical goods, pharmaceutical products and IT services. Pakistan has a vast pool of talented doctors, engineers, bankers and IT professionals who can render their excellent skills in Oman. Also regionally renowned Pakistani universities and hospitals can be set up in Oman,” adds Asim.

The leadership of Oman and Pakistan has often expressed the desire to see the excellent bilateral ties being translated into meaningful economic cooperation and increased trade. While this has yet to happen, experts feel immediate measures need to be taken to realise the goal without further delay.

“Oman and Pakistan enjoy economic synergies in various sectors. These can be harnessed through better investor education and exchange of focused business delegations more frequently. We have been facilitating businessmen from both the countries for cross border economic opportunities as per our mandate. This becomes more important in the face of challenging economic scenario globally,” says Noaman.

“In order to achieve a meaningful increase in bilateral trade and investment, a more methodical and research based approach needs to be adopted. This, first of all, needs a detailed study of the comparative strengths of both the countries which are not available among their counterparts. This study would highlight projects which can be undertaken through a combination of knowledge and financial capital contributed by each country. The study would also focus on gaps and challenges in the trading framework and recommend steps to overcome

those issues,” explains Noaman.

“Going forward, an increase in economic cooperation and bilateral trade will be mutually beneficial for both countries,” adds Asim.

Noaman, an expert in financial matters, suggests setting up a multi-stakeholder think tank which focuses on areas of strategic importance.

“This includes food security, education, information technology, energy and healthcare etc. This body can comprise representatives from state of the art institutions from both the countries with the objective of leveraging the expertise of one country for the benefit of other, instead of reinventing the wheel. Exchange of trade delegations can also play an important role if it happens on a regular basis. Tourism can also be a catalyst for furthering trade relations. In this regard, main tourist destinations should be promoted with focus on cultural and geographical proximity.

Tourism would automatically pave the way for trade and investment in the long run,” he suggests.

Keeping in view the close proximity, strong brotherly ties, willingness to enhance economic cooperation and a large presence of nearly 250,000 Pakistani expatriates in Oman, it is time for the two countries to take their trade relations to the next level. The sooner the better.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

13

A reputed name in sultanate’s legal arena

Taimur Malik Partner, Curtis Oman

16

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

17

Working in Oman as a much sought after legal consultant, Taimur Malik has made his mark as the go-to lawyer for anyone in need of legal advice related to doing business in the Sultanate. Malik has been in Oman since 2008 and is working as a Partner at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (popularly known as Curtis Oman), one of the leading international law firms in Oman.

W

ith a series of achievements attached to his name, he has built a creditable reputation as a trusted corporate lawyer in the country. Over the years, Malik has made significant contributions to Oman’s market development by providing practical legal solutions to complex business problems.

Curtis Oman is recognized as a top law firm in Oman by leading legal directories including Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and IFLR. The IFLR 1000 has recognized Malik as being a “brilliant lawyer” and the Legal 500 has recommended him as being “very helpful and knowledgeable”.

Malik has advised governments, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, listed companies and Fortune 500 companies on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious matters including arbitration, litigation and mediation mandates, government concessions, infrastructure projects, conventional and Islamic Finance transactions, corporate governance and capital market matters, M&A and joint ventures in countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Prior to joining Curtis, Malik served as

18

the regional head of the legal department of Vale, one of the world’s largest metals and mining group, with responsibility for legal matters relating to multi-billion dollar projects in Oman and Malaysia and exploration and business development activities across Middle East and West Asia.

He has also been a Research Scholar (international commercial contracts) at UNIDROIT in Rome and a Visiting Fellow at South Center in Geneva. During 2005-8, he was also the Executive Director of the Research Society of International Law, Pakistan’s only international law think tank and capacity building institution.

Malik has been a guest speaker at universities, civil and military training institutes and think tanks in various countries including at the Foreign Service Academy and the Navy War College in Pakistan, Bank Muscat L&D Center in Oman, American University in Dubai and Georgetown University Law Center in the US. Malik’s articles on legal issues appear regularly in leading publications in various jurisdictions and he has also contributed chapters to books on joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions in the Middle East.

He is an alumnus of the Georgetown Leadership Seminar and the General Management Programme of the Judge Business School at Cambridge University.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

He has also attended The Hague Academy of International Law, London School of Economics, Heidelberg University and University of Dundee for various executive courses. Malik was called to the Bar at the Honourable Society of Lincolns’ Inn, UK and is also enrolled as an Advocate of the High Courts in Pakistan.

Founded in 1830, Curtis is one of the oldest international law firms. Its headquarters are located in New York with 18 offices worldwide. Curtis is a full service international law firm, with particular specialties in banking and finance, projects and corporate and commercial matters and multi-jurisdictional disputes.

Its Muscat office, Curtis Oman, has been the hub of its Middle East practice for nearly two decades and offers a full range of international and domestic legal services to Omani entities and individuals, the Oman Government and international clients.

Curtis Oman is a centre of excellence in (i) corporate and commercial law and M&As; (ii) international and Omani banking and finance law; (iii) Oman’s legislative and regulatory framework; (iv) real estate and construction; (v) Oman employment law; (vi) dispute resolution (by both litigation and arbitration); and (vii) projects and privatizations, together with the statutory regulation of such projects.

Responding to questions, Malik shares his journey as a leader in his field in this country.

The journey so far My experience of working as a lawyer in Oman has been both professionally rewarding and personally fulfilling. I came to Oman in 2008 as a legal consultant and have since been involved in the development, project and operations phases of many of the largest government financed projects (such as the country’s first multi-billion dollar dry dock in Duqm) as well as foreign investment based projects (including Oman’s first multi-billion dollar iron ore pelletizing plant and distribution center in Sohar). I have also advised numerous Fortune 500 companies, leading Omani business groups and governmental entities on a broad range of legal matters related to doing business in Oman.

The mission The objective is to provide legal solutions to business problems and to assist clients to achieve their business, corporate social responsibility and organizational objectives in the most efficient and practical legal manner. Another key objective is the mentoring, training and development of young Omani lawyers.

Business vision To continue to be a trusted legal advisor to our clients in Oman and to contribute to the growth and development of the country’s economy.

Future plans I would hope that my Firm would continue to be a market leader in the field of legal services in the country and expect that our Omani team members would have a much more significant role to play in this regard and would be leading our future growth.

We maintain and regularly update Oman Law Blog – http://omanlawblog. curtis.com – and we intend to cover more legal topics in the future. We have also initiated a Curtis Insight Series under which we are hosting Breakfast Seminars on important legal matters for our clients and stakeholders. We intend to host these on a regular basis this year as well. achievements in Omanisation The hiring and training of young Omani lawyers is a key priority for us. The Omani trainees work closely with senior expatriate lawyers, contribute to our Oman law blog, and can even do short work stints in our other offices, in particular in Dubai and London.

Advice to future business leaders We often meet young entrepreneurs with the next big idea and assist them in formalising the legal structure of their start-up.

Risk is an essential part of any new business venture and my advice to young entrepreneurs would be to manage such risk properly. This can be done by documenting the rights and responsibilities of the partners and the counterparties properly in legal documents and by ensuring that they follow all the local laws and regulations pertaining to their business activities.

Company details Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP P. O. Box 1803, PC 114 3rd Floor, Qurum Plaza, Al Wallaj Street, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

Email: tmalik@curtis.com.

Telephone: 00968 94004758/ +968 24564495 Website: www.curtis.com.

Key contact person: Taimur Malik, Partner.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

19

Key contributor to Sultanate’s most successful poultry venture

Muhammad Rafique Chaudhry CFO, A’Saffa Foods

20

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

21

Corporate success is always a result of team work but individuals’ brilliance does play a major part. The most important quality of a finance professional is to restructure an ailing company into one of the most profitable and successful ventures. This is precisely what Muhammad Rafique Chaudhry’s company A’Saffa Foods carried out in Oman in the last decade or so. Chaudhry was the key contributor to this success in his capacity as the Chief Financial Officer.

C

haudhry was instrumental in turning around A’Saffa Foods to become not only the biggest poultry and food security project in Oman, but also a major foreign exchange earner for the country by establishing itself as a wellreputed brand in the Gulf region.

A series of well thought out restructuring plans helped the company to arrest its losses and move forward in the path of high profitability along with enhanced capacity and diversified products.

In fact, the company was suffering due to continuous losses, which resulted in equity erosion of up to 67 per cent back in 2005. The restructuring initiative resulted in immediately arresting losses and further transforming the company into a highly successful and profitable project in the region. In 2012, A’Saffa Foods surpassed a market capitalisation of more than OMR100 million.

The initial restructuring activity was further expanded to continuous improvement plans, which resulted in tremendous achievements between 2005 and 2008.

The company optimised production and

22

operating efficiencies, maximised productivity, brought in improvement in internal controls, consistently strengthened profitability and successfully established a reputed brand image in the region.

Chaudhry, who is the chief financial officer of A’Saffa Foods, A,Saffa Foods Processing LLC, and director of A’Saffa Logistics LLC, has diversified experience spanning over three decades in strategic financial and operation planning, designing corporate objectives and goals, monitoring project performance, performance analysis and corrective measures, financial and accounting activities of the project and business development.

Responding to questions, Rafique Chaudhry shares his journey as a Pakistani business leader.

The journey so far Well, this has been a great journey so far. I am glad that we were able to overcome the challenges we faced and marched ahead as a dedicated team determined to carve a niche for itself. It is quite satisfying to see A’Saffa become a leading poultry brand in the region during a short span of

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

time. We feel inspired by the company’s achievements so far, which add to our confidence about the future. We are now focusing on the next phase of growth to further enhance the food security in the country and region and increasing returns on investments.

Looking back, it wasn’t easy turning around the company’s fortunes. After achieving the maximum productivity of the installed capacity, A’Saffa Foods’ expansion was designed to meet the growing market demand. The expansion project was designed and implemented in 2008 to increase the broiler meat production by 50 percent and hatching eggs by 100 percent.

Another expansion later in 2011 increased broiler meat production by 20 per cent to 20,000 tonnes per annum, while A’Saffa Food Processing LLC was formed to produce value added meat products, which started production in 2013.

A fully owned subsidiary company called A’Saffa Logistics LLC was established to provide cold stores, dry stores as well as a state-of-the-art head office building to meet the group company requirements.

The commercial operation of A’Saffa

Logistics started recently in April, 2016.

A’Saffa Foods has won several awards, including number one position in the category of Best Brands in an Oman Daily Observer book. Additionally, the company was awarded as the Best Omani Brand in the Business Today magazine and Oman’s Best Brand Web Award.

The mission Our mission is to earn our customers’ loyalty by providing them with high quality, healthy, hygienic, halal and delicious food. We want to take our products across Oman and the entire Middle East region.

Building a satisfied and loyal customer base by consistently exceeding their expectations will always be among our top priorities. We aim to be proactive in increasing the value of shareholders’ investment by growing sales, cost control and wise investment in resources. Moreover, we look to participate and provide solutions in achieving food security and ample supply in the region.

Business vision A’Saffa Foods aims to become a food conglomerate in the region by constantly adding value to the interests of its stakeholders. As we move forward in our journey towards further enrichment and growth, we commit ourselves once again towards the health and well-being of every households and to the task of bringing more smiles to the faces of our consumers, employees and shareholders. A’Saffa aims to increase its role for the food security of the country in particular and region in general.

Future plans We have ambitious expansion plans including doubling our production to meet a huge growth in demand. In order to strengthen our infrastructure support, we are planning to expand A’Saffa Logistics’ operations. Starting a table egg project is also among our immediate priorities.

We are very keen to expand our product portfolio further in order to meet our customers’ needs, which brings us to invest in new breeder and broiler chicken project.

Plans are also afoot to covert the existing breeder farm facility into a broiler farm after

A’Saffa Foods is quite optimistic about its future prospects, which is why we are constantly

the breeder project starts its operation.

A’Saffa Foods is quite optimistic about its future prospects, which is why we are constantly focusing on increasing our product range. We have also developed diversification plans in the future with a continued focus on achieving improved production efficiencies.

Achievements in Omanisation Supporting the national policy of Omanisation, set forth by our government, has always been among our priorities. A’Saffa Foods helps its Omani employees by providing them sound business knowledge, leadership and technical skills on a regular basis. The company regularly sends Omani graduates on advanced workshops to improve their skills, enabling them to operate on modern systems. We are also collaborating with local institutions to build a pool of skilled local workers to meet A’Saffa’s requirements. These initiatives will add immense value to the organisation’s objective of building sustainability into its operations and promoting a culture of devotion to the company.

A’Saffa Foods is a responsible corporate citizen and its CSR policies continue to support local and national initiatives by working closely with government and non-government organisations. We have been playing an active part in encouraging community growth and development. In addition to this, A’Saffa has contributed OMR100,000 each year in 2013, 2014 and 2015 towards helping orphans and educational scholarships for students in need.

focusing on increasing our product range.

Company details A’Saffa Foods SAOG P O Box 3436, Ruwi Postal Code 112 Sultanate of Oman Telephone: 00968 22360250 Fax: 00968 22360280 Email: cfo@asaffa.com Website: www.asaffa.com Key contact person: Muhammad Rafique Chaudhry, CFO.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

23

The visionary who turned an idea into a top brand

Muhammad Nadeem Azeemi

Managing Director, Sohar Poly Industries

24

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

25

All business leaders are smart but all smart people are not business leaders. Muhammad Nadeem Azeemi is not only smart but a successful business leader too. In a short span of just eight years he has turned an idea into a brilliant business, creating what is now known as a prestigious Omani brand.

B

lessed with a natural ability to make quick decisions and take calculated risks, Azeemi grabs an opportunity when he sees one. Having vast experience in the field of fabrication and gas metal arc welding projects, he analysed the potential in home comfort products in 2008 and added a new dimension to his range of businesses.

Sohar Poly Industries (SPI) is the newest player in Oman’s poly products industry but manufacturing world class products already.

Utilising its highly skilled workforce, cutting edge technology and unique innovations, SPI has carved a niche for itself in the world of innovative home comfort producs. As the Managing Director of SPI, Azeemi has overseen the company’s growth as an enterprising business leader with the ability to think ahead of his time and out of the box too. As a result, Sohar Poly Industries has started taking its products to other GCC countries after making a significant presence in Oman and UAE. Responding to questions, Azeemi shares his journey as a Pakistani business leader.

The journey so far We have come a long way since Sohar Poly Industries was set up in 2008 and started production and supply of mattresses, beds,

26

pillows, comforters and other sleep comfort products. New product lines for spring mattresses and medical mattresses were added subsequently.

This has been quite an eventful journey with a fair share of ups and downs.

However, we are well on our way to scaling new heights. Currently, the company is producing PUF range of products, spring mattresses, medical mattresses, comforters, pillows and other sleep comfort products. SPI markets its products to domestic market and abroad.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

The mission Sohar Poly Industries is committed to a policy of continuous improvement and innovation for providing quality products to customers. We are striving to provide soothing comfort and style in our products in line with the culture and tradition of the region.

Business vision SPI aims to be a market leader in production and supply of sleep comfort products by providing customers world class yet affordable products.

Future plans Expansion in products range and manufacturing capacity figures prominently in our future plans. With continuous improvement in infrastructure, the company has been able to become one of the leading manufacturers in Oman. Our products are well accepted among all segments of population in the GCC market.

SPI is now poised to grow and add new product lines to cater to domestic and foreign hospitality sectors. The company plans to expand its facilities to include a whole range of furnishing and other products in the near future and aims to double its sales by 2020.

Achievements in Omanisation We firmly believe in supporting the na-

tional policy of Omanisation, which is a top priority of the Government of Oman. Sohar Poly Industries is contributing to the national objective of training and employing Omani nationals in the industry. Currently, the company employs about 65 nationals.

Advice to future business leaders Anyone can start a business journey but everyone may not reach the desired destination. Immense hard work and the ability to create a vision are the keys to finding success in life. The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.

There are no shortcuts and everyone has to work hard and try to put himself in a position where he can see the opportunity, grab it and develop it to his advantage.

Company details Sohar Poly Industries LLC. PC 327, Sohar Industrial Estate, Sohar Email: info@soharpoly.com; Website: www.soharpoly.com, Telephone: +968-26701610/13 Key contact persons: Muhammad Nadeem Azeemi: MD & CEO. Syed Muhammad Nawaz: Director Operations & Marketing.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

27

A vital cog in the wheel powering the nation

Usman Anwar CFO, ACWA Power

28

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

29

Finance professionals play an important role in the development of independent power projects and ACWA Power Barka is not an exception.

Usman Anwar, chief financial officer of ACWA Power Barka, was instrumental in working with other top level highly qualified professionals in leading the company to meet the growing demand for power and water with a high degree of safety and efficiency.

A

CWA Power Barka, which owns a 454 megawatt power plant and 20 million imperial gallon (MIGD) water desalination plant (also known as Barka I), was the first independent power and water project in the Sultanate of Oman. The project was awarded to a consortium of international developers in 2000. The project began its commercial operations in June 2003 and since then has been contributing significantly to the power and water needs of the nation.

ACWA Power Barka, which is listed on the Muscat Securities Market since January 2005, further developed two reverse osmosis technology-based water plants in 2013 and 2015 with combined capacity of 22.5MIGD. Both these water plants are now fully operational.

Usman, who is well qualified, has rich experience spanning over one-and-a-half decades in the field of finance, accounting, audit and taxation. Earlier, he held senior finance positions, including regional controller, controller, and finance manager in the past with the AES Corporation and Occidental Petroleum in various countries.

ACWA Power Barka bagged several prestigious awards, including award for investment project of the year 2003. This award was reflective of the value this project created for the power and water sector in the country. The company

30

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

was also awarded Oman green footprint award in 2010, which was a testimony to the company’s strong focus on safety and environment. The company was awarded Middle East Power Deal of the year 2012

by Euromoney for its unique refinancing deal and AIWA award for corporate excellence in 2015 as one of the top 5 companies in large cap category listed on MSM. The journey so far The power and water sector in Oman has come a long way in the last fifteen years.

Being the first IWPP in the Sultanate, the expectations of the government from this project were really high. The Barka I project was part of the privatisation policy of the government and was of strategic importance as the government has to meet the growing demand of electricity and water to boost economic development, which ultimately contributed to the prosperity of the Sultanate.

The demand for power and water has seen consistent growth in the last several years. Considering this, ACWA Power Barka stepped forward and offered to provide an innovative solution to develop two reverse osmosis water plants using water from the heat reject of the existing MSFe plants. This innovative solution resulted in use of the existing seawater intake/outfall facilities, which consequently allowed for a very competitive project economics.

ACWA Power Barka went through a re-

structuring programme in 2011 pursuant to which the operation and maintenance function of the company was carved out by forming a new company, NOMAC Oman, which is currently the operator of all Barka 1 CCGT, MSFe and two reverse osmosis water plants.

ACWA Power Barka was also the trend setter in the sector by reducing the nominal value of its share from 500 baisas to 100 baisas in 2012, which in turn, allowed small investors to participate in the shareholding of the company. This initiative was appreciated by the local regulators and was followed by several other companies later on.

ACWA Power Barka refinanced its long-term loan twice during its operational life of 13 years. The first refinancing was successfully completed in 2006 whereby lower prevailing interest rates in the market were tapped for the remaining term of the loan, which added tremendous value to the business.

The latest refinancing was accomplished in 2012 pursuant to which majority of US dollar denomination-based loan was converted into Omani rial based loan. This refinancing was unique in the entire Mena region as it resulted in the loan tenor exceeding beyond the term of the PWPA (power and water purchase agreement) by 4-6 years.

The best achievement by the company, however, is completion of 14 years without

any lost time incident, which reflects the philosophy and culture of putting safety as first and foremost priority.

Mission statement To meet the commitments with the stakeholders by producing safe, environmentally friendly, reliable and cost-effective electricity and water with social responsibility.

Business vision Maintain overall plant reliability to maximum and ensure world-class safety and environmental standards. Meet shareholder aspirations by adding maximum value by sustaining project economics.

ACWA Power Barka SAOG will continue to be at the forefront and deliver world class performance in terms of producing clean, reliable, cost-effective and safe power and water for the country.

Future plans The contract generation model in the power and water sector does not allow too much flexibility in terms of growth or expansion. However, the company will continue to tap any opportunity to support growing demand for power and water in the country.

Achievements in Omanisation Developing the local talent has always been the top priority of ACWA Power

Barka. The company is ahead of its contractual obligations in terms of Omanisation. The company, with the help of its operator, introduced many in-house training programmes, which supported the development of skill sets of the Omani youths. The existing leadership and management team is largely made of these talented Omani professionals. The overall percentage of Omanisation at Barka 1 plant is around 75 per cent.

Advice to future business leaders Courage, teamwork and skillful planning are the key pre-requisites for being a successful business leader. The youngsters should focus on their continuous development and enhancement of their skills in today’s business environment.

Company details ACWA Power Barka SAOG Barka 1 Power and Water Desalination Plant Near Hay Asem Wilayat of Barka Sultanate of Oman Telephone: 00968 26 894 382 Fax: 00968 26 894 387 Key contact person: Usman Anwar, Chief Financial Officer

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

31

Winning customers’ trust and delivering quality

S.A. Faisal

CEO, Paneltech International LLC

32

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

33

Winning the trust of customers having high expectations in a country like Oman is not an easy task.

This is what Paneltech International LLC and its Chief Executive Officer Shah Arjumand Faisal have achieved in less than seven years.

Individual brilliance does count and can play a huge part in translating ideas into successful ventures.

34

W

inning the trust of customers having high expectations in a country like Oman is not an easy task. This is what Paneltech International LLC and its Chief Executive Officer Shah Arjumand Faisal have achieved in less than seven years. Individual brilliance does count and can play a huge part in translating ideas into successful ventures.

Faisal’s vision and leadership immensely helped in establishing the company as a major producer of roof profile sheets, polyurethane sandwich panels and related items for different purposes, which include warehousing, factories and all structural steel requirements.

The company, which has its manufacturing unit in Barka Industrial Estate, uses the latest technology to produce polyurethane sandwich panel and corrugated sheet products.

In recent years, the unique properties of polyurethane sandwich panels have made it an extremely popular building material especially for cold room applications.

Paneltech International supplies its products to major Omani contractors for building warehouse, staff accommodation, factories and parking shed etc.

Faisal, who has a BE degree in electrical engineering and an MBA qualification, leads the group with his technical capabilities and management expertise. The group has two other firms – Taif Barka Trading and Contracting LLC and Lightech LLC. After working in several responsible positions over the years in Pakistan Navy that earned him honour and reputation, he joined the business in May 2009 with a clear vision. Faisal also has expertise in industrial system, quality management, energy management, renewable energy systems and facility management.

Responding to questions, Faisal shares

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

his journey as a Pakistani business leader.

The journey so far The journey has been very interesting and challenging. It tested our patience and temperament. Having started from an engineering job in 1999 in two different companies, I entered business in 2009.

When you work hard with sincerity and dedication, you are bound to succeed. All the group companies are ISO certified and we have received several appreciation and recommendation letters from concerned government authorities.

The mission Our mission is to provide our customers trust worthy products and services, while keeping smiles on the faces of our employees and customers.

Business vision To have quality products delivered to the satisfaction of our customers. Therefore, our vision statement is “Quality You Can Trust.”

Future plans Oman, which is part of the Gulf region, is a potential market for another decade and we are working aggressively to be the pioneers in many related fields of our businesses. In the next decade, we will be aligning our business and competing with several international companies in all respects.

Expansion programme has always been the lifeline of our business since growth is important with improvements which are always an ongoing process. In future, we plan to multiply our productivity and services as the market requirements are also expected to increase.

We will soon be launching Omani products range to fulfill the industrial requirements as those products are being imported till date.

Achievements in Omanisation We firmly believe in supporting the government’s policy of providing jobs to Omani nationals on priority and in the short span of our existence our companies have pursued this national objective with considerably zeal. This has been the top agenda for us and so far we have reached over 40 per cent Omanisation.

Our employees undergo regular on the job training combined with HACP and industrial safety courses.

Advice to future business leaders Never stop learning and there is no harm in making mistakes. However, one must learn from every mistake. There is no short cut to experience and hard work. So keep working hard, have faith, and enjoy what you do.

Company details Paneltech International LLC P O Box 391, PC 320 Barka, Oman Telephone: 00968 26881140 E-mail: faisal@panletechllc.com Website: www.paneltechllc.com Key contact person: Atiq Ansari 00968 97649430

Taif Barka Trading & Contracting LLC Telephone: 00968 91404304 E-mail: faisal@taifbarka.com Website: www.taifbarka.com Key contact person: Soban Moazzam

Lightech LLC Telephone: 00968 99215486 E-mail: sasimjafri@yahoo.com Website: www.lightechoman.com Key contact person: Asim Jafery Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

35

The young luminary in Oman’s legal arena

Syed Ali Naveed Arshad Partner, SASLO

36

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

37

Measuring people’s success in life and contribution to their area of operation is never an easy task to accomplish. After all, it takes years of hard work and perseverance to build a reputation that serves as a stepping stone to success. Syed Ali Naveed Arshad, a reputed young lawyer in Oman, has done exceedingly well serving his clients from the platform of a respected Omani law firm.

A

s an Executive Partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial Department at Said Al Shahry & Partners Advocates & Legal Consultants (SASLO), he has achieved a lot since joining SASLO as a senior associate in 2011. He was ranked by Chambers Global Guide 2016 as the “up and coming” lawyer for Oman who was admired by his clients. Ali was also commended by the World Bank for his regular assistance in the preparation and contributions to their global Doing Business guide. He is also ranked and recommended by various international guides for corporate and finance work in Oman.

Ali completed his LLB (Hon) degree from the University of London. He holds a post graduate diploma in law from City University, London. He also attended the Boston University School of Law and qualified as a Barrister. Ali is also a member of many local and international business and professional platforms like the Oman chapter of the British Business Forum, Omani British Lawyers Association, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the UK, and other professional bodies and associations. In 2015, he was appointed as the International Ambassador of City University, London.

Responding to questions, Syed Ali shares his journey as a Pakistani business leader.

38

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

The journey so far By the grace of the Almighty, it has been both a rewarding and an enterprising experience. I joined the legal profession in Pakistan in 2006. Before moving to Oman, I was a junior partner with a boutique practice in Islamabad that has a niche corporate and arbitration practice. I moved to Oman in 2011 joining SASLO as a senior associate. SASLO has been operating in Oman since 1992, providing legal services to the local and international business community. I became an executive partner of the firm in 2014 along with being the head of its corporate and commercial department. Having started my practice in Pakistan, I was blessed to have worked with, and gained experience from, several leading lawyers such as Naeem Bokhari and Aitzaz Ahsan and the leading corporate law firm, Orr Dignam & Co. As a lawyer, I was engaged in various notable matters in Pakistan, such as advising a regional developmental bank on the regulatory framework and financing of various cross border infrastructure projects in Pakistan. I also advised potential financiers on the financing of the TAPI and Iran-Pakistan gas pipelines, China-Pakistan electricity interconnect and CASA1000, a regional electricity market interconnection. Furthermore, I also acted for the Federal Government on major construction and engineering disputes. This included acting for the government on Pakistan’s biggest engineering

negligence dispute that emanated from the collapse of the Karachi Northern Bypass flyover. I also advised the civil works contractor developing the Centaurus Mall in Islamabad.

Oman’s civil law legal system does not share the same legal principles as common law legal systems, where I had qualified and worked. This presented the challenge of quickly tuning in on the local laws and the practice of law in Oman. I feel it was very opportune that I joined a leading Omani law firm. SASLO has helped shape many important parts of the laws of Oman and in establishing the present legal framework in many sectors. This gave me an opportunity to understand the local system and culture in the best possible way. In particular, my colleagues and the SASLO’s managing partner, Said Al Shahry, were very supportive. This gave me the comfort of swiftly settling down and fully engaging myself in my new role.

I moved to Oman in 2011 at the age of 27, having practiced law in Pakistan for almost 5 years. Since then I have been involved in a number of important matters including acting on disputes relating to construction and arbitration matters, advising on establishment of power and desalination projects and representing

banks and financial houses on financing of projects and investments and matters relating to oil and gas. At present, I am advising a Middle Eastern Government in an international arbitration concerning the construction and development of a major infrastructure project. I am also working with a number of international financial institutions, advising them on various matters pertaining to the laws of Oman.

SASLO is the only law firm headquartered in Muscat that has well established branch offices in Salalah and the industrial hub of Sohar. It has about 30 lawyers in the three offices and a large corporate and commercial team.

The most important achievement till date is the volume of technical knowledge relating to sophisticated corporate and commercial matters that we have transferred to our national colleagues and trainees.

The mission SASLO’s mission statement is to become the law firm of choice by fully incorporating our core values with the highest of international standards to provide high quality and ethical services by a multinational team of legal professionals.

Business vision SASLO’s business vision is to become the law firm of choice for the provision of legal solutions in the Gulf region. It brings together a blend of highly experienced senior Omani and foreign lawyers with extensive local and international expertise.

Future plans Both our managing partner and I see SASLO following and implementing its business vision over the next 10 years. We expect offices to be opened in other major Gulf cities in fulfillment of that vision.

We would like to see SASLO as the first international firm based out of Oman. The future plans are in line with the business vision of the firm and the personal vision of Said Al Shahry in this regard. We are at present considering a number of opportunities in other Gulf countries.

Advice to future business leaders In my view, it is not very difficult to become a business leader. There are many examples of young business leaders both in and outside Oman. The most important things, in my view, are focus and utmost commitment and dedication to the profession, whatever that may be. A person always receives dividends of his or her hard work. It is also important to keep your expectations realistic and manage your way to success by setting up a roadmap to one’s ultimate goals.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

39

Major contributor to social causes

Muhammad Munir Executive Director, Ittfaq Group

40

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

41

The next big thing after starting a business is business growth. Some businesses struggle to grow while some grow without struggle, or so it seems.

Ittfaq Group of Companies has seen significant growth in the last sixteen years under the leadership of its Executive Director Muhammad Munir, who is a known philanthropist too. The growth has been pretty smooth and steady.

H

aving started his business in 2000, Munir has done quite well to expand it to seven companies in Oman, UAE and Pakistan. While his five companies — Al Ittfaq International, Best Al Ittfaq, Double Road Tyres, Ittfaq Travel and Tourism and Munir Transport — are operating in Oman, he is also running Muhammad Munir Cargo Transport in Dubai and M.M Textile in Pakistan.

Muhammad Munir is a popular figure in the large Pakistani community in Oman and is respected for his social work and generous contributions to the community causes. In the last five years he has invested significant time and resources in various social causes, supporting those in need of help and patronising Pakistani cultural and literary activities in particular. He also heads Pakistan Social Club Oman as its Chairman and was re-elected in March for another term of two years.

In a recent interview to Times of Oman, leading national daily in the Sultanate, he said: “I want our membership to reach 10,000 in the next two years. We are going to reach out to the community with new vigour and resolve to raise the PSC profile.

A lot of Pakistanis are holding high profile positions in Oman. Many are heading even multi-national companies. I want those bright and brilliant Pakistanis to join PSC and help us serve the community better.”

Explaining further he said: “This could

42

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

be my last term as PSC chairman. I want to raise the performance bar to set a shining example for the future PSC teams.”

Responding to questions, Muhammad Munir shares his journey as a Pakistani business leader.

The journey so far This has been a great journey so far. We did see a few stumbling blocks along the way but the overall ride has been pretty smooth.

In fact we have been lucky to have seen sustained and stable growth in recent years.

If I have to sum up things I can confidently announce that the highs far outweigh the lows in our short existence here.

Trust is the single largest reason for our business doing well. We enjoy utmost trust of our clients and customers who like the prompt delivery of services and swift action to attend to their concerns, if any. I must also acknowledge that my mother’s blessings have always been with me and her prayers are the major reason I have done well in life.

I don’t think I’m the only one in the business who considers himself very lucky for being able to earn a living doing a job I like doing so much and I plan to continue doing this for a long time to come.

The mission Our mission is to be the best in our services.

Ittfaq Group wants to have a significant and diversified presence in the region. We are very keen to excel in every business area we enter.

Business vision We are in the service industry and want to excel in our services by never compromising on quality and commitment. Our customers are important to us and we want to do all we can to come up to their expectations. To improve your service delivery channels you need to bring in quality people and provide them necessary tools and technology to accomplish their tasks.

Future plans If you don’t expand your services someone else will and you’ll lose the opportunity. We

have aggressive expansion plans with focus on diversification. We have started some new ventures and considerable time and energy has been spent on finding out new avenues of interest. Ittfaq Travel is going to expand its branches network by opening five new outlets in 2016. Our Group is also focusing on strengthening its tyres business by bringing in new brands of tyres and car accessories.

Currently, we have four tyre showrooms Food and hospitality is another area of interest for us. We are already operating some restaurants and will be exploring the opportunities to expand our operations.

Company details Al Ittfaq International LLC P.O. Box 1999, PC 114, Sultanate of Oman Telephone: +968 247133267.

Fax: +968 24712272 Dubai: 050 6981047, 055 7575748.

Pakistan: +92 3008058881 Email: munirtransport@yahoo.com, alittfaqinternational@gmail.com, ittfaq786@gmail.com.

Key contact person: Munibur Rehman, General Manager.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

43

AZ Engineers: A Rising star in contracting business

Syed Haris Ali

Managing Director, AZ Engineers

44

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

45

Contracting business is one of the most competitive sectors in the Sultanate and gaining a reputation in the field is not that easy. Two ambitious entrepreneurs, who had established a reputed contracting firm in Pakistan way back in 1990, entered the Omani market with a highly qualified professional team and technical capabilities in 2004.

S

heer hard work and determination of Syed Haris Ali and Shahzad Ashraf helped AZ Engineers & Partners to achieve a strong growth in construction and civil engineering activities locally and in several international markets.

As the two brilliant engineering graduates from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Haris, Managing Director/Partner, and Shahzad, Director/ Partner, have led A Z Engineers creditably to one successful project after another.

The company, which has its headquarters in Pakistan and branch operations in Oman and South Africa, has undertaken several prestigious projects in Pakistan, Libya, South Africa, Iraq and Sultanate of Oman. The company, which is specialised in civil construction and different types of transport infrastructure projects, has been associated with several prestigious projects in Oman. The company is instrumental in building culverts, wadi bridges, interchange bridges, flyovers, and underpasses for several major expressway projects, including Quriyat-Sur Road with STFAPolat JV, Batinah Coastal Highway with Makyol, Sohar-Buraimi Road with CCC, Bidbid-Sur Road (Section-1-A with Astaldi-Ozkar, Section 1-B with STFA-HLG JV, Section 2-A with L & T, Section 2-B with KAS-Isolux JV), Muscat Expressway with Oman United Engineering, Ibri-Yanqul Road with Yuksel, Duqm City Roads with Oman Gulf Company, Mirbat-Hasik Road with Oman Building & Contracting Co and

46

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

many more. The company is also specialised in the construction of buildings and includes a building in Wattayya for Dhofar Automotive Co. and at Muscat Hills with Muscat Hills Development Co. Professionalism, quality of work, stringent rules on safety and timely delivery are this Pakistani company’s most important qualities for working on international projects and consultants. AZ Engineers, which works for both private and public sector clients in Oman, not only executes prestigious projects but also provides training to unskilled workers to make them professional engineers so that they are more useful in construction project. The team of AZ Engineers includes engineers, sub-engineers, management consultants, architects and skilled workers.

Responding to questions, Syed Haris Ali shares his company’s journey as a Pakistani business leader in Oman.

The journey so far AZ Engineers & Partners has undertaken various prestigious projects in Pakistan, Oman, Libya, South Africa, Iraq and Oman.

It has carried out more than 400,000 cubic meters of concrete in the Sultanate and has achieved 14,000 cubic meters in a month.

Also, the construction work include more than 45 bridges (wadi, flyovers, box girder I-beams and arch bridges) with a total length of 8,000 linear meters, more than 20 vehicular underpasses having a length of more than 1,000 linear meters and retaining walls (RCC, MSE and geo-grid walls)

with a total length of approximately 7,000 linear meters. Besides, it was instrumental in building more than 500 box culverts, including multi-cells and approximately 1,500 housing units. It has recently completed one building in Wattayah (Oman) and is currently working on a ten-storied luxury building in Muscat Hills, Muscat.

AZ Engineers has received many letters of appreciation from major clients and consultants.

The mission Our mission is to become a leading construction firm with an ethical approach, respect, safety of employees, service quality and commitment towards our customers, profitable growth and a committed workforce. As a company, we pride ourselves on quality and precision and at all times work with honesty and integrity.

Business vision We believe that our company offers a range of integrated construction services to match the evolving needs of today’s marketplace. We aim to be known as a company founded on experience, with the ability to perform at a higher level than

our competitors. Our goal is to become the best company providing unique construction solutions.

We want to see the company among the league of major contractors, which are working in the country in the field of roads and building infrastructures.

Future plans AZ Engineers is currently working on a ten-storied luxury building in Muscat Hills, Muscat and construction of multiple cells box culvert and interchange bridges for several projects, including major road projects. In fact, it is currently constructing bridges, flyovers, interchange bridges, underpasses & multiple cells box culvert on projects in Yankul, Salalah, Raysut, Duqm, Nizwa, Muscat, Mirbat & Sur. The company is focusing on building projects and has participated in a few tenders for getting future work.

Achievements in Omanisation AZ Engineers firmly believes in being a responsible corporate citizen. The company has always tried to support Omanisation and is maintaining the stipulated percentage. It is very tough to maintain even 30

per cent of Omanisation in construction industry as the major work force is constituted by the labour segment and it is very rare to find Omanis in labour category. The company is training them and giving them opportunities to grow in this field.

Advice to future business leaders The youngsters, who are keen to become entrepreneurs, should be hard working and determined with their passion. Once they develop these two traits, they will be fairly successful in doing business.

Company details AZ Engineers & Partners LLC Villa 4, Building 490, Plot 421, Block 248 18th November Street, North Azaiba, Muscat.

Telephone number: 00968 24495594 Fax: 00968 24495598 e-mail: info@azengineers.com Website: www.azengineers.com Key contact persons: Syed Haris Ali, Shahzad Ashraf and Ali Imran

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

47

perseverance, hard work pay rich dividends for Ilham Business Corner Syed Mohammed Birjees Zaidi

Managing Partner, Ilham Business Group

48

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

49

Strong determination and hard work pay rich dividend over the years in any field, and business is not an exception. Focus, concentration and target-oriented work are the three main ingredients for the success of Syed Mohammed Birjees Zaidi, who developed a well-diversified business house that is concentrating on a range of activities in the country.

Z

aidi, who is a diplomaed associate of the Institute of Bankers in Pakistan (DAIBP) and has a bachelor’s degree in economics, holds rich experience as a banker spanning over two-and-a-half decades, before turning into a businessman. He worked in senior managerial positions in Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Bank Muscat, before setting up his own business.

Counting on his ability to cross all hurdles, Zaidi has worked hard to turn a small set-up into a sizeable business in less than two decades.

Starting his business in the Sultanate way back in 1999, the group now has seven firms, Ilham Business Corner (IBC) LLC, Maqbool International Co LLC, Hassan Abdullah & Partners Co. LLC, Golden Crown Marble & Granite Co. LLC, Noor Al Sharq Trading & Contracting, Tahreer International Co LLC and Saeeda Kadhmi Trading LLC. The group’s flagship com-

50

pany — Ilham Business Corner LLC — is concentrating mainly on designing and manufacturing kitchens, which are creative, distinctive and a unique expression of lifestyle.

Responding to questions, Syed Mohammed Birjees Zaidi shares his journey as an Omani business leader of Pakistani origin.

The Journey so far Well, the journey has been quite hard and pleasant too. I don’t think anyone actually decides to be an entrepreneur. Circumstances lead you to your destination. I believe there comes a time in everyone’s life when you can no longer be anyone but an entrepreneur. Some people take that route, some don’t. Definitely it takes a certain type of individual and circumstances, but in the end it is the sense of commitment, self-belief and continuous hard work that lead to success. You must know that starting a business, and surviving, is never going to be easy. I started

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

my business after working for more than twenty-five years in banks (local and international) and have come across a lot of ups and downs in order to achieve what I desired.

Daily bumps and bruises are a way of life when you are in a startup mode and I had to face the challenges every now and then that felt like devastating blows and a kick in the guts. The balance in one’s personality is important to overcome these hurdles, so I kept my energy focused on moving ahead and tried not to get caught up in the hype and get exhausted. It helped and paved the way to more success.

So, my journey has been a marathon and I have enjoyed every bit of it. It has given me bruises but on every check point I felt that I had enough in me to reach the next one no matter what hurdles I come across.

The mission The group’s mission is to offer the finest quality of modular kitchens available

Business vision Our focus is on designing and manufacturing kitchens, which are creative, distinctive and a unique expression of our customers’ lifestyle, allowing them to choose the design for their dream kitchen with the best available components.

Achievements in Omanisation We believe in giving back to the Omani society by way of creating more and more employment opportunities for local youths and focusing on in-country value.

All the high administrative positions of the company are held by Omani nationals and hiring more Omani nationals in middle management and executive posts is a part of our human resource plans for the near future.

Future plans It has been an upward climb in the previous decade and I would like the climb to continue, reaching further heights of success in the next decade. We are working on bringing a couple of new international brands of modular kitchens in Oman and very soon we will add to our existing international brands another exquisite variety of modular designs of customised kitchen furniture to be offered to our clients.”

Advice to future business leaders Sheer determination towards the goals and continuous hard work would count a lot in achieving success in business. What people think of you is none of your business. Concentrate on your targets and leave the results to Allah. My advice to the youth is ‘have confidence in you and this self-belief will take you where you want to reach’.

nationally or internationally and consistently deliver products and services with high standards of quality.

Company details ILHAM BUSINESS CORNER LLC. P.O.Box: 1374, Postal Code: 130.

Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

Phone: +968-24596674.

FAX: +968-24596673.

Email: ilhambc.llc@gmail.com.

Website: www. Ilhambc.co.

Key contact person: Mohsin Zaidi, General Manager.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

51

A dynamic IT pro with a great entrepreneurial gift

Akhtar Zaib

Managing Director, Kalsoft

52

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

53

Business excellence is every entrepreneur’s dream but not everyone gets to see this become a reality.

However, a great business idea, backed by sound planning and perseverance to pursue one’s goals can, and does, lead to the realisation of that dream.

Akhter Zaib, a dynamic information technology professional with an entrepreneurial gift, has been busy realising one business dream after another since 2006. Excellence, he believes, is bound to follow.

H

eading KalSoft, a company providing meaningful technology solutions that attain real business results, as its Managing Director in the Gulf region, Akhter has excellent business and strategy development skills which have been instrumental to KalSoft’s success in Oman.

Capitalising on his ability to analyse, team building talent, a sound approach to business based on reason and constant desire to learn and apply, he has learned how to convert an idea into an opportunity.

A Master’s in Software Engineering, Akhter is the founding member of KalSoft in Oman and has represented the organisation at different forums with Microsoft throughout the Middle East, Europe, Canada and US. His astute approach in IT business has been acknowledged at international level by Microsoft and awarded Best Partner of the Year for 2010 where he represented KalSoft in WPC 2010 in the United States. Under his leadership

54

KalSoft Oman was once again awarded the Best Country Partner of the year in 2012 where he represented the company in WPC 2012 in Toronto, Canada. He has received multiple IT and executive trainings from different organisations including Microsoft.

Having achieved considerable success as KalSoft supremo in Oman, Akhter has now turned his attention to making Precise International Group a symbol of best service and quality in Oman. The Group, which he manages as its Director, comprises three companies —Tabaq restaurant, a well-known Pakistani brand, Wrap & Roll food joint, and Precise Travel and Tourism, a chain of travel agencies with its head office in Qurum.

Responding to questions, Akhter Zaib shares his journey as a Pakistani business leader.

The journey so far Having an IT background and trusting my business development skills, I took

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

up the challenge of setting up KalSoft in Oman back in 2006, targeting all the major organisations for their software development requirements. The initial period was extremely tough as the response was quite sluggish but slowly it started building up and we moved from a single project outfit to a company serving all the major banks, telecoms, oil and gas, government and semi government institutions, defense, health and educational institutes. Oman as a country and economy has a steady and firm growth; it’s all about how quickly a new business incorporates and aligns itself with the market requirements.

Keeping similar thoughts in mind, our expansion continued in travel and tourism and hospitality sectors. The journey again appears to be quite testing but the results are quite encouraging.

The mission To be recognized globally in the field of Information Technology, Hospitality and Travel and Tourism sectors with a plat-

we are looking at ourselves as one of the leading cloud service providers in the Sultanate of Oman and abroad.

Achievements in Omanisation I don’t believe in hiring Omani human resources just for the sake of achieving Omanisation percentage, rather I believe it’s a responsibility of every single business to reinvest in Oman, in the form of local skills development, creating opportunities for them in technical, sales, and management roles. We hire experienced as well as fresh graduates from universities and our experienced teams train them over a period of time. As a result, our Oman staff has been hired by companies like Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, ITA, CBO and others.

form which attracts and motivate young and dynamic professionals to celebrate innovation and sustainable growth by exceeding the expectations of clients.

Business vision We aim to initiate and expand businesses which are “service-oriented” with ultimate quality that contributes to the development of society, and help in the skills development of human resources.

Future plans We have plans to grow further in both horizontal and vertical directions through

small to mid-size acquisitions, taking over struggling businesses and converting them into profit centers so they can sustain their presence and grow further. Eventually we would like to strengthen the holding company within Oman and reach out to the global market.

KalSoft has always been on the growth plan since its inception in Oman and has ventured in KSA, Qatar, Canada and now looking at UK and USA regions. As an entrepreneur who believes in technology, our innovations are revolving around newly coming Cloud Platform which is the future of information technology and

Advice to future business leaders Try to explore your capabilities at an early age. Based on that set your vision and stick to it. This will help you to climb up the ladder quickly. Be honest with your people, and work with people who are smarter than you. You should learn how to lead them properly. When they grow, you will grow automatically.

Company details KalSoft Villa 53, Al Bashair Street, Madinat Qaboos, Muscat, Oman.

Telephone: +968 24694672 Email: info@ekalsoft.com Website: www.ekalsoft.com Key contact person: Akhter Zaib

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

55

A shining star in banking sector

Adnan Haroon

CFO, Standard Chartered Bank

56

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

57

It takes years of toil to reach a prestigious position in an organisation, but only sheer brilliance will take you to the top in international banks like HSBC and Standard Chartered. Life is not easy at that level and only the best will survive, or thrive, in the unforgiving financial world.

C

limbing the ladder, step by step, Adnan Haroon has come a long way and is currently playing the dual role of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) Oman. This chartered accountant has over twenty years experience working with leading international banks and reputed firms like KPMG. Also a professional cost and management accountant and corporate secretary, Adnan has received an array of awards and accolades for making a significant contribution to the banking sector since starting his career in 1996. He arrived in Oman when he joined HSBC bank in 2009 before moving to SCB Oman in 2012.

Having received Standard Chartered Bank ACCA approved Employer Trainee Development Gold Award as well as Standard Chartered Bank ACCA Approved Employer Professional Development Award, Adnan has also been Environment Champion at SCB Oman. He has also served as a Parent Governor at the British School Muscat during 2014-2016. Earlier, he was selected as Chairman of HSBC Pa-

58

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

kistan Provident and Gratuity fund in 1997 and later HSBC Climate Change Program in affiliation with WWF and work with Scientist for a week at Oxford – UK in August 2010. Adnan has won kudos representing his bank on key pilot projects/initiatives with regulators as well as representing banks in various forums like finance and risk. He has attended extensive trainings in Hong Kong, Singapore, UK and Dubai.

Adnan received four years of mandatory training at KPMG as trainee student/Audit Senior. He also has three years of preprofessional experience with a brokerage house of which two years in accounts and one year as security dealer.

Responding to questions, Adnan Haroon shares his journey as a leader in his field in this country.

The journey so far After spending four years with KPMG, I joined HSBC Pakistan and worked in finance, management accounting and credit operations there for more than four years.

Later I moved to HSBC Middle East Operations in Dubai as regional audit manager covering Middle East region, including

Egypt and Pakistan. I also had the opportunity to work as Manager Credit Operations as well as Head of Guarantees in Dubai. My next place of work was Mashreq Bank where I was appointed as Vicepresident Risk Review Division as well as Vice-president Excellence and Strategic Assurance. I moved to Oman as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) HSBC in 2009. I also spent six months as acting COO and was also involved in the acquisition of a bank in Oman for nearly three years. This constituted one of the most valuable experiences for me as this involved big four firms and various local and international colleagues, from Regional CEO to Group CEO. I moved to Standard Chartered Bank Oman in September 2012 to take up the dual role of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. This has provided more challenging and exciting opportunities to learn and explore.

The mission  I want to help influence the future development of people and organisations. I will build personal, business, and social relationships by giving, in frequent little

ways. My mission is to create and lead a dream team where everyone is playing to their strengths.

The vision My vision is to be an honest, empathetic and impactful leader and to be recognized internationally within my industry. I am committed to growing as a leader and delivering value-added support to the organisation.

Future plans Throughout my life I have learned to set high goals, reach for them, and achieve them. All of these things are important personal goals that I truly believe I can acquire by working hard and putting forth my best effort. I have the expectation to achieve all of my goals. I also expect to be successful CEO. These are very high goals, but I know that I am capable of doing nothing less than my best. I want to surpass what I think my highest potential is because that is when you know that you have tried your hardest, showing other people that they can do anything.

achievements in Omanisation We adhere to the regulations in the banking sector and are well above the curve. I am quite supportive of the localisation. In my previous role in Dubai, my department had 65 percent local people, mostly women.

When I joined Standard Chartered, finance team managed work from outside Oman.

However, most of the work is now being done in Oman with the support of local people.

Advice to young leaders Taking ownership, team work and dedication are the perfect ingredients for success. Don’t be scared of failure as it creates another opportunity which you would not have known before.

Company details Standard Chartered Bank Bait Al Hour Building MBD Area, Muscat Telephone: 24773535 Website: https://www.sc.com/om/en/ Key Contact person: Adnan Haroon

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

59

An imaginative innovator creating signs of success

Mohammed Arif Barakat

Managing Director, Gulf Neon Signs

60

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

61

Mohammed Arif Barakat is a man of ideas. He is a man of considerable style too and his work showcases his talent more than anything else.

Using his creative ability to give names a new meaning, he took over a signage company in 2001 and has since been creating commercial and public display signs that speak louder than words.

T

ake a tour of the beautiful Oman and you’ll instantly notice the strong presence Gulf Neon Signs (GNS) LLC has on the country’s office fronts, walls, roads and streets.

When somebody or something needs to announce its identity or a message, this enterprising company springs into action to highlight it with all the colours, style and impact it needs to be seen and noticed.

Gulf Neon Signs and Arif Barakat, along with his efficient team of skilled professionals, combine to create magic that is no less meaningful than the proverbial writing on the wall ... loud and clear.

Ever since Oman started to stabilise and then rise under the remarkable rule of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said in the 1970s, this country has seen amazing success stories and immense contributions by its citizens and residents to its growth and development. Arif Barakat and Gulf Neon Signs have been making a significant contribution to this journey of remarkable

62

growth in their own area of business activity for the last 15 years.

Spread over 3000 sqm of work space, the office facility has as many as seventy qualified skilled workers and professional engineers putting their heart and soul into the job on hand with the help of the latest equipment and machinery every day. Their effort is supported by a sizeable fleet of small and heavy vehicles, a modern plant, machinery and cranes.

Responding to questions, Arif Barakat shares his journey as an Omani business leader of Pakistani origin.

The journey so far This has been a great journey and a great learning experience so far and we have had our share of good and bad times. After years of hard work and perseverance, we have been able to build a reputation in the market and win our customers’ trust as well. We are one of the leading manufacturers of all types of signs since 2001 in the Sultanate of Oman and are well reputed in

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

the market for delivering and maintaining the highest quality and standards in all our products and services. We took over this prestigious business from our predecessors Voltamp Electrical Ltd. (Voltamp Neon Sign Wing) who had been manufacturing and installing all types of signs in Oman since 1976.

Gulf Neon Signs’ main office and factory is located in Wadi Kabir Industrial Area in Muscat. Our workshop is well equipped with all the latest machinery and equipment. Our fleet of vehicles is always kept ready to meet any emergency maintenance requirements of our clients in Oman. We recently expanded and now have an office in Salalah too.

Our highly skilled professionals provide the nation with round the clock services in manufacturing and maintenance of all types of signs. Such artistic installations all over the Sultanate are a testimony to our workmanship and the quality we deliver. The consistently growing list of our valued clients justifies the confidence they

have in our workmanship and capacity to complete a given job as per their requirements within the targeted period.

Our highly skilled professionals provide the nation with round the clock services in manufacturing and maintenance of all types of signs.

Business Vision We aim to be the best at what we do and want to achieve market leadership with the innovative products and services that set new trends across our industries. Maintaining quality and focus on customer satisfaction should always be our top priorities. We believe in creating opportunities to sustain growth and profitability. We also believe in generating demand by consistently exceeding customer expectations.

Quality statement Gulf Neon Signs wishes to serve the country by maintaining the highest standards of quality in its products and services. To do so, we deal with every enquiry responsively and professionally.

We believe in treating feedback from our clients as an opportunity for learning and improvement.

Company details Gulfneon signs P O Box 421, P C 117 Al Wadi Al Kabir Sultanate of Oman Phone: +968 2481 4288, 2481 3255, 2481 6314 Fax: +968 24812377 Email : gns@gulfneonsigns.com, gnsigns@omantel.net.om Website: www.gulfneonsigns.com

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

63

Leading the way in providing quality technical support

Zafar Yasin CTO, ACWA Power

64

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

65

Highly qualified technocrats are an invaluable asset of independent power projects in Oman.

These professionals are instrumental in development, construction, commissioning and operation of such projects in the country. Zafar Yasin, chief technical officer at ACWA Power, has been playing such a vital role in ACWA Power Barka – the first independent power and water project in the Sultanate.

A

qualified engineer, he has acquired rich experience spanning over two-anda-half decades in development, construction, commissioning and operation of power and water desalination plants in Pakistan, Qatar and Oman.

He worked in senior positions, including project manager, operations manager at various plants in the past with AES Corporation including director at various boards.

With a power generation capacity of 454 megawatt and water desalination capacity of 20 million imperial gallons per day, ACWA Power Barka plays an important role in meeting water demand in northern Oman.

The project was awarded to a consortium of international developers in 2000 and started commercial operation in June 2003.

Since then, the project has been contributing significantly to the power and water needs of the nation. ACWA Power Barka, which is listed on the Muscat bourse, further developed two reverse osmosis technology based water plants in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Both these water plants are now also operational.

66

The journey so far Oman has come a long way in attracting billions of dollars in foreign investment for developing several independent power and water projects. Almost all international power majors are competing to enter the country for building power projects.

Being the first independent water and power plant (IWPP) in the Sultanate, the expectations of the Government from this project were really high. The Barka I project was part of the privatisation policy of the Government and was of very strategic importance one as the country required to meet the growing demand of electricity and water to boost its economic development.

The demand for power and water has seen consistent double digit growth in the recent past. Considering this, ACWA Power Barka stepped forward and offered to provide an innovative solution to develop two reverse osmosis water plants using water from the heat reject of the existing MSFe plants. This innovation solution resulted in use of the existing seawater intake/outfall facilities which consequently allowed for a very competitive project economics.

In 2011, ACWA Power Barka has carried

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

out a restructuring wherein the operation and maintenance function of the company was carved out by forming a new company NOMAC Oman. This firm is currently the operator of all Barka 1 CCGT, MSFe and two reverse osmosis water plants. Â ACWA Power Barka was also the trend setter in the sector by reducing the nominal value of its share from 500 baisas to 100 baisas in 2012 which in turn allowed small investors to participate in the shareholding of the company. This initiative was appreciated by the local regulators and was followed up in coming years by many other companies.

The latest refinancing was accomplished in 2012 pursuant to which majority of US denomination-based loan was converted into Omani rial based loan. A consortium of 15 lenders was reduced to three lenders out of which majority loan was taken up by two Omani lenders. This refinancing was unique in the entire Mena region as it resulted in the loan tenor exceeding beyond the term of the power and water purchase agreement by 4-6 years. The company also managed to avoid cash sweep mechanism pursuant to which majority of cash flows of

the company were to be used as accelerated repayment to the lenders.

The company has achieved an unbeatable operational and maintenance track record of the plant since commencement of its commercial operation way back in 2003 and maintained a reliability factor of almost 100 per cent both on its power and water facilities.

Yet another remarkable achievement of the company, however, was completion of 14 years without any lost time incident, which reflects the philosophy and culture of putting safety as first and foremost priority.

ACWA Power Barka was given award for Investment Project of the year 2003.

This was a very prestigious award and was reflective of the value this project created for the power and water sector in the country. The company was also awarded Oman green footprint award in 2010, which was a testimony of the focus on safety and environment. The company was awarded Middle East Power Deal of the year 2012

by Euromoney for the unique refinancing deal. The company was also given AIWA award for being one of the top five companies in large cap category listed on MSM for corporate excellence.

The mission We believe in meeting the commitments with the stakeholders by producing safe, environmentally friendly, reliable and costeffective electricity and water in a socially responsible manner.

Business vision We want to maintain plant overall reliability to the maximum and ensure world class safety and environmental standards.

Meeting shareholder aspirations by adding maximum value by sustaining project economics is always a priority.

Future planS The contract generation model in the power and water sector does not allow too much flexibility in terms of growth or expansion. However, the company will continue to tap any opportunity to support growing demand of power and water in the country.

ACWA Power Barka will continue to be at the forefront and deliver world class performance in terms of producing clean, reliable, cost effective and safe power and water for the country.

Achievements in Omanisation Developing the local talent has always been the top priority of ACWA Power Barka.

The company has always been ahead of its contractual obligations in terms of Omanisation. With the help of its operator, the company has introduced several in-house training programmes, which supported the development of skill sets of the Omani talent. In fact, fresh Omani graduates are hired and provided with practical two year training on site. These programmes have been extremely successful and resulted in not only enhancing the skills of young Omani engineers but also helped them in developing as business leaders. The existing leadership and management team today is majority made of talented Omani professionals.

The overall percentage of Omanisation at Barka 1 plant is around 75 per cent.

Advice to future business leaders A right attitude with clarity in thoughts is a vital aspect of leadership. Apart from this, dedication, commitment, honesty and ‘whatever it takes’ attitude constitute a successful business leader. In today’s environment, it is important to focus on continuous development and keep abreast with the changing business environment.

Company details ACWA Power Barka SAOG Barka 1 Power and Water Desalination Plant Near Hay Asem Wilayat of Barka Sultanate of Oman Telephone: 00968 26 894 382 Fax: 00968 26 894 387 Key contact person: Zafar Yasin, Chief Technical Officer

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

67

Making his mark in Oman’s LARGE energy sector

Javed Mustafa CFO, Dhofar Generating Co.

68

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

69

It is never an easy task holding things together when you are faced with multiple challenges in the complex business world. Doing so is even more creditable if the company is a part of a big industry and its performance, or lack of it, can have an instant bearing on public life. Finance teams work overtime to keep the business strong and stable.

J

aved Mustafa, a professional accountant and certified internal auditor, and his team are providing Dhofar Generating Company (DGC) that vital support. Having started his career with KPMG, he is now playing a key role as Chief Financial Officer in his company’s mission to provide world class power reliability.

With more than seventeen years of diversified experience in strategy, finance, accounting, assurance, internal controls, fraud management, insurance and risk management, Javed has held leadership positions with ACWA Power Barka, AES Corporation and Telenor Pakistan.

Dhofar Generating Company, located in Raysut, near Salalah, was commissioned in 2003 and was acquired in June 2015 from the Electricity Holding Company SAOC by a consortium consisting of Mitsui & Co., Ltd., ACWA Power and DIDIC. The company won the best power project financing deal award in 2015 by EMEA Finance and IJ Global Awards within the MENA region. The project was unique in its successful design of an acquisition and new construct in a club deal amongst its other features.

70

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Responding to questions, Javed Mustafa shares his journey as a Pakistani business leader.

The journey so far This has been quite an eventful journey and will continue till the country has achieved its goal of modernising power sector facilities. Commencement and acquisition of the business presented a unique and complex challenge as it included both a brownfield project takeover and a greenfield project.

The $620 million deal included the acquisition of a running 276MW power asset. The challenge was to take over a running business in a smooth manner without any interruptions in power reliability.

The project also entails the construction, ownership and operation of a new 445MW power plant on the latest technologies utilizing equipment from world renowned original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

This deal is unique because it optimises various pockets of liquidity available by utilising both dollar and Omani rial tranches. Along with sponsor contributions, the key source of funding is project financing from a consortium of local and international lenders.

The investors come in on the basis of a power purchase agreement which gives the deal a strong and consistent underpinning.

Due to the numerous stakeholders involved, the experience has been quite intense yet hugely satisfying and successful because of the world class infrastructure available in Oman.

The consortium members (Mitsui & Co., Ltd., ACWA Power and DIDIC) each have a strong presence in Oman and are now positioned to be one of the largest power producers within the country having recently been awarded IPP power projects in Ibri and Sohar.

The mission Without a doubt, the company’s first and foremost goal is to have a safe and incident free workplace. The business aims to meet its construction targets, provide world class power reliability and to be the employer of choice. Omanisation is priority target for our business.

Business vision We want to be the leading power generation company that meets the customers’ needs for now and the future with excellent shareholder expectation and growth.

Future plans We are very keen to be a leader in power generation within the country by ensuring world class performance, operating its power assets at the highest level of reliability and in a safe manner with zero lost time incident and zero environmental non-compliance. The company should be the employer of choice for its people.

Under the new owners, the company has committed to extend the capacity of the existing power plant by 445 MW designed to meet the needs of the Dhofar Governorate from 2018. The scope of the Salalah 2 IPP Project includes the design, construction, ownership and operation of a new high efficiency CCGT power plant which will extend the current power capacity of 273 MW to around 718 MW. The new project will based on the latest CCGT technology with high efficiency and will utilize natural gas as an environmentally friendly and clean solution.

Achievements in Omanisation Supporting Omanisation is certainly our priority. The company is committed to recruit and develop Omani talent and is well ahead of its contractual obligations.

We are quite keen to provide young Omani

engineers in-house and external training opportunities which will lead to enhancement of their skill and will develop them to be the future leaders. The construction of the new plant will result in an increase in the number of employees. The company’s vision is that the bulk of the new employees should be Omanis. In addition, bringing new technology will provide an opportunity to enhance the technical skillset of people employed within the company to latest world standards.

Advice to future business leaders There is no short cut in life and success is the result of sheer hard work. As Thomas Edison said, ‘Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration’.

Company details Dhofar Generating Company S.A.O.C. P.O. Box: 1571, Postal Code: 211 Telephone: 23220800, Fax: 23219200 Salalah, Sultanate of Oman Key contact person: Javed Mustafa, CFO.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

71

Setting new standards in operational excellence

Salman Pervez

Team Leader, Support Services, Nomac Oman

72

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

73

In a technology driven era like ours, where time is money, what matters most is the ability to perform various tasks with the same precision and perfection people manage to achieve doing one job at a time. Doing so while leading a team is priceless.

H

aving rich and varied experience within an organisation like leading independent power producer ACWA Power Barka has helped Mohammed Salman Pervez immensely to provide team leader support services to First National Company for Operation and Maintenance Services LLC, popularly known as NOMAC Oman, which was formed in 2011 to take up the operation and maintenance responsibility of Barka 1 Power and Water Desalination plant.

The highly qualified team plays an important role in operation and maintenance function of utility firms like independent power and water projects.

With an MBA degree in finance, Pervez has more than twenty one years of experience in energy sector with expertise in supply chain, information technology, human resource, administration and public relations. He worked for ACWA Power Barka and AES Corporation.

NOMAC Oman is a subsidiary of NOMAC KSA, which in turn is owned by ACWA Power. NOMAC is a leading opera-

74

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

tion and maintenance service provider of proven, safe, cost-effective, operation and maintenance services of desalination and power plants at multiple sites in the Middle East.

NOMAC’s operating philosophy cornerstone are commitment to the developments, safety of human capital; integrated management system, enterprise resource planning system and risk management system.

The group is responsible for the operation of a portfolio of 15,500 megawatt of power generation and 2.83 million cubic meters per day of desalinated water production using reverse osmosis and MSF. It operates and maintains combine cycle, simple steam cycle, solar photovoltaic and solar thermal plants.

The journey so far NOMAC Oman has grown rapidly in the last five years since its formation. In addition to Barka I Power & Desalination plant, NOMAC Oman is also responsible for the operation and maintenance activities of two sea water reverse osmosis water plants developed in last few years. In 2015, NOMAC Oman was appointed as operation and

maintenance operator for Dhofar Generating Company, which not only owns an existing power plant but is also constructing a greenfield power plant.

With the growing portfolio of NOMAC Oman being prudent operation and maintenance (O&P), the company required not only a high class O&M team but also an effective support processes, including supply chain, inventory management, strong information technology infrastructure and administrative support. Ensuring availability of all above systems in place requires effective planning and forward looking thinking. NOMAC Oman is ISO 9001, 14001 & OHSAS 18001 certified O&M service provider.

The mission We will provide the most compelling operation and maintenance solutions in terms of safety, cost and performance, to become a partner of choice.

Business vision We want to be a leading global operations and maintenance service provider in terms of quality and market share for

power generation and water desalination.

Future plans NOMAC Oman is expanding at a fast pace in the Sultanate by now providing operation and maintenance services to Barka Phase I, Barka Water Expansion Phase 1, Barka Water Expansion Phase 2 and Dhofar Generation Company Phase I. The company is geared to take up operation and maintenance function of Salalah 2 greenfield project within next couple of years.

NOMAC Oman will continue to strive for further excellence and aims to become a truly world-class operation and maintenance company. The growing demand for power and water in the Sultanate is resulting in development of many new projects, which essentially means many new opportunities for NOMAC Oman.

Achievements in Omanisation NOMAC Oman is fully committed to Omanisation and is well ahead of its contractual obligations. The company recruits fresh engineers and provides various training and development programmes, including in-house one year training

programme whereby these engineers are trained in various areas of power and water plants. Further, internal cross functional and external training programmes are provided to enhance their skills and develop adequate knowledge.

Advice to future business leaders Always believe in “whatever it takes” attitude and make the difference in your profession by seeking continuous improvement.

Company details NOMAC Oman Near Hay Asem Wilayat of Barka Sultanate of Oman.

Telephone: 00968 26 894 382 Fax: 00968 26 894 387 Key contact person: Salman Pervez, Team Leader, Support Services.

Top Pakistani Business Leaders in oman

75