IN-HOUSE NEWSLETTER OF SUHAIL BAHWAN GROUP VOLUME 06 | ISSUE 23 OCTOBER/ DECEMBER 2019
FROM THE VICE CHAIRPERSON’S DESK Dear colleagues Welcome to the 2019’s last edition of Suhail. I am writing this note with a heavy heart; our beloved leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said had passed away on Friday 10 Jan 2020. He was the true architect of Oman who led the remarkable transformation of the Sultanate of Oman that we see today. He was a visionary, statesman and nation builder, who believed in peace, prosperity, humbleness and simplicity. Designed & Published by Media and Communications Division Suhail Bahwan Group [Holding] LLC P.O. Box: 169, PC 100 Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Phone: +968 2465 0037 Email: pr@suhailbahwangroup.com
DISCLAIMER SUHAIL is an internal newsletter meant exclusively for SBGH employees. Although immense care has been taken, we request our readers to bear with us in case of any errors and omissions. Please send us your feedback, comments, contributions and suggestions to pr@suhailbahwangroup.com
At the same time, we are honored to extend our hearty congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq bin Taimour, who has been chosen to lead the nation as we enter the 50th glorious year of the renaissance of the Sultanate of Oman. We pray to God Almighty to grant success to His Majesty, renewing our pledge for him to continue in his endeavors to preserve the capabilities of this country and work for its progress and elevation among the ranks of nations. The new year- 2020- also marks the 55th year of our Group’s journey when the young entrepreneur-brothers Sheikh Suhail Bahwan and Sheikh Saud Bahwan established their first business venture in Mutrah, Muscat. Over the years, the Suhail Bahwan Group has grown to become a conglomerate with diversified businesses that cover almost every aspect of people’s lives. I am very proud of what we have achieved thus far and I would like to personally thank everyone who have contributed to our success. As we bid good bye to 2019 and usher into 2020, I would like to convey my warmest wishes for a prosperous and fruitful year for our Group and everyone. Looking ahead 2020 and beyond, true to our enterprising nature, we will continue to recalibrate ourselves for the changing times, embrace new technologies, improve people skills and relentlessly pursue new opportunities. Enjoy reading the issue.
Amal Suhail Bahwan
Contents
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October-December 2019 | Issue 23
04
Hungarian Embassy in Oman opens ......................... office in Al Rawaq Suhail Bahwan Group and Hungarian Company Omsol Sign Memorandum of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Understanding
05 49th National Day Celebrated at 06-07 Suhail Bahwan Group Omani Women’s Day Celebrated in all Colour and Gaiety 08 National Pharma Oman Expands Operations to Saudi Arabia 11 Three SBGH Employees Selected for 20Government’s Prestigious ETIMAD programme Bahwan Travels wins another award at the Arabian Travel Mart 26 Bahwan Healthcare Centre employee wins 32 coveted “Best Pharmacist” award Bahwan IT signs partnership with D2C for 37 Managed security services
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
Hungarian Embassy In Oman Opens Office In Al Rawaq The Hungarian government has recently opened its Oman embassy at our SBGH headquarters. His Excellency Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Oman’s Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs inaugurated the embassy premises in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade of Hungary, Dr Toboar SZATMARI, Hungary’s Ambassador to Oman, Sheikha Amal Suhail Bahwan Vice Chairperson, Suhail Bahwan Group and other high level dignitaries. Located at the second floor of Al Rawaq Building, the Hungarian embassy will look after business promotion between the two countries as well as issuing visas and other diplomatic assignments.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
Suhail Bahwan Group And Hungarian Company Omsol Sign Memorandum of Understanding During the visit of the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade to Oman and to our headquarters, Bilad Oman, one of our Group companies and Omsol ltd, a Hungarian company specializing in renewable and conventional power generation, transmission and distribution, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The signing ceremony was held in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade of Hungary and Sheikha Amal Suhail Bahwan, Vice Chairperson, Suhail Bahwan Group Holding LLC. Mr. István Százuj, General Manager of OMSOL Ltd. and Mr. Dharmendrapal Singh Kapoor, General Manager of Bilad Oman signed the MoU that establishes cooperation between Omsol Ltd and Bilad Oman in the field of metal structure fabrication for solar photo voltaic power plants in the Sultanate of Oman. Earlier, Mr. Péter Szijjártó and his high level team met with Sheikha Amal Bahwan at her office and discussed various potential business opportunities in the private sector between Hungary and Oman. Amal Bahwan presented the minister with an Omani Khanjar as a memento of his visit.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
49th National Day Celebrated at Suhail Bahwan Group The 49th National Day of Oman was celebrated with usual gaiety and colour by the employees of our Group companies – both at Al Rawaq Headquarters and other locations. Every company decorated their offices with colour full posters and ribbons, pictures of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, and of course welcoming every one with cakes and traditional Kahwa. Sheikha Amal Suhail Bahwan, in her customary national day practice, visited every office of our Group companies and wished them greetings of the occasion and joined them for a photograph. In her message to employees she said, “We are blessed to have had a leader like His Majesty, whose vision and wisdom has led the country into tremendous growth across all walks of life- be it education, infrastructure, health, science and technology, commerce and industry, tourism, just to name a few.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
Omani Women’s Day Celebrated in all Colour and Gaiety The Omani Women’s Day was celebrated in all colour and gaiety on 17 October with Sheikha Amal Suhail Bahwan, Vice Chairperson of the Group joining hundreds of women colleagues, many of them in their traditional attire. This year, as part of the celebrations, select senior male colleagues were invited to share their views and experiences. A panel discussion was also held chaired by Amal Bahwan in which she engaged the audience in a lively interaction sharing her experiences in multiple roles- as a responsible mother, effective administrator and leader and a successful business woman.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
Vice Chairperson Delivers Inspiring Speech at Bahwan IT Partner Event Bahwan IT’s key business partner ValueLabs conducted their annual flagship event, Inspire, in London in December under the theme ‘building high impact partnerships’. Our Vice Chairperson Sheikha Amal Suhail Bahwan was invited as a special guest to the event attended by high profile business speakers, major global clients and customers. True to the title of the event, she gave an inspiring speech to the distinguished gathering explaining how Sheikh Suhail Bahwan started humble and built the conglomerate with key principles of TRUST and VALUE for employees and partners. She also shared her experience of managing a variety businesses ranging from IT to telecom and lifestyle to manufacturing. Her speech was the highlight of the event that won applause from the entire audience. Scan the QR code with your smartphone to watch her speech.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
Vice Chairperson Attends Inauguration of Gulf Energy Second Manufacturing Facility in Oman Gulf Energy SAOC, in which SBGH is a stakeholder, inaugurated its second manufacturing facility in Oman recently under the auspices of His Excellency Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas. Our Vice Chairperson Sheikha Amal Suhail Bahwan, along with several other VIPs attended the grand event in Nizwa. The new facility will localize the manufacturing of casing accessories and enhance the In-Country Value (ICV) of the company, creating employment and training opportunities for locals residing outside urban areas. With this project, Gulf Energy SAOC becomes the first National company in the region to successfully manufacture casing accessories in Oman and export such products to neighboring countries.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
National Pharma Oman Expands Operations to Saudi Arabia National Pharmaceutical Industries, (NPI) Oman, in which SBGH is a shareholder and represented by our Vice Chairperson Sheika Amal Suhail Bahwan as one of the board of directors, is setting up a state-of-theart Formulation Plant “Elixir Pharma” in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The ground-breaking ceremony of Elixir Pharma was held in December 2019 at the project site in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), Jeddah, in the presence of all NPI Board members including Sheika Amal Bahwan and officials from the Ministry of Health, Oman, KAEC authorities and various consultants. The KAEC officials took the Board Members of NPI on a tour of the industrial valley and showed the facilities as well as the services being offered. The new manufacturing facility will initially have a capacity to produce one billion tablets per annum with a provision to expand to other dosage forms in the future. NPI’s R & D is also geared up for bringing in technology into the region by development and introduction of new molecules. The Elixir Project is in line with the overall expansion plans of NPI to have multiple manufacturing facilities and expand its marketing operations across the globe.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
DHL Global Forwarding Recognized as Kincentric Best Employer 2019 in Oman DHL Global Forwarding, the leading provider of air, ocean and road freight services, was recognized as the “Best Employer” in Oman, as part of Kincentric’s Best Employers global certification. This programme measures and recognizes leading employers, who capture the full power of their people to drive results and create sustainable competitive advantage. Mr. Roy Scaria DHL Country Manager Oman and Ms. Eva Mattheeussen, DHL HR Head for Middle East and Africa attended the award ceremony in Dubai. Mr. Scaria said that the award demonstrated DHL Oman’s unwavering commitment to people and its continued focus on creating an engaging and agile environment built on trust and shared values. This would not have been possible without the strong support from local partner Suhail Bahwan Group and the Regional Office”.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
Suhail Bahwan Group’s 2020 Calendar Celebrates the Dawn of Oman’s New Era Through Omani Windows Every year, the calendar of our Group is dedicated to a particular theme or subject celebrating and remembering the culture, history and heritage of Oman. This year too, our calendar, titled “Dawn over the sea of Oman through Omani windows”, celebrates the history and heritage of Omani windows in a symbolic way. The pages of the calendar take the traditional Omani window as a symbol through which we watch the phases of the new dawn of Oman. Reflecting the architectural and decorative styles of traditional windows from five regions of Oman, i.e. Dhofar, Jabrin, Mutrah, Mirbat, and Sur, the calendar is dedicated to the centuries-old distinct culture of Oman.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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Distinguished Emp
October 2019 1] Bushra Said Salim Al Amri, Accounts Assistant, Bahwan Logistics LLC | 2] Younis Saif Ali Al Waheibi, Credit and Collection, Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC | 3] Samah Nasser Said Al Musalami, Call Co-Ordinator, Bahwan IT LLC | 4] Zamel Said Mohammed Al Hatmi, Service Technician, Bahwan Healthcare LLC | 5] Uma Shankar Prasad, Carpenter, Bahwan Furnishings and Trading LLC | 6] Talib Rashid Harib Al Hasani, Watchman, Bahwan International Properties LLC | 7] Shaikh Jabed, Cook, Al Asala Manpower & Services LLC | 8] Sheikha Nasib Kharbash Al Hamadani, Senior Account Assistant, Finance & Accounts Division | 9] Jagatheesan Ganesan, Foreman, Internal Audit Division | 10] Khulood Mohammed Said Al Azri, Data Entry Operator, Bahwan Projects and Telecoms LLC | 11] Jane Alam Saleh, Fabricator, Bilad Oman LLC.
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November 2019 1] Charlie Felisarta Albaren, Telecom Technician, Bahwan Projects and Telecoms LLC | 2] Maryam Abdullah Sulaiman Al Wardi, Sales officer, Bahwan Healthcare LLC | 3] Bashair Sulaiman Muslem Al Khusaibi, Senior Assistant RESVN/TICKTG, Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC | 4] Muhammad Azam, Forklift Operator, Bahwan Logistics LLC | 5] Ayida Mubarak Hadid Al Araimi, Accounts Clerk, Finance & Accounts Division | 6] Yousuf Abduallh Mallan Al Bulushi, Credit and Collection, Credit and Collection Division | 7] Khalil Ibrahim Juma Al Balushi, LV Driver, Al Asala Manpower & Services LLC 8] Narendra Anil Kolhe, Supervisor, Bilad Oman LLC.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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loyees of the Month
December 2019 1] Rakesh Tiwari, Erector, Bilad Oman LLC | 2] Mir Kashifi, Technical Consultant, Bahwan IT LLC | 3] Hanan Abdullah Salim Al Anqoudi, Accounts Assistatnt, Bahwan Logistics LLC | 4] Khaamis Obaid Ali Al Riyami, L.V. Driver, Bahwan IT LLC | 5] Ahmed Said Hamed Al Tobi, Sales officer, Bahwan Healthcare LLC | 6] Mohammed Gharib Mubarak Al Falit,Accounts Assistatnt, Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC | 7] Nur Ali, Cleaner Cum Helper, Bahwan International Properties LLC | 8] Mohammed Khamis Said Al Waheibi, Officer-Accounts, Finance and Accounts Division | 9] Praveen Hanyalu Shivaramaiah Raju, Senior Software Developer, Information Services Department | 10] Abdullah Salim Al Ghadani, L.V. Driver, Al Asala Manpower and Services LLC.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Corporate news
Training and Development Division introduces new skill programmes Human Resources and Administration Department’s Training and Development (T&D) division has started short training sessions on communication skills and workshops on Job Descriptions. “I want to be a Communication Champion” Communication is the key for any individual and thereby the business to succeed. To refresh employees on the skillsets of communication, a two-hour programme has been designed and developed internally. The pilot for this course was conducted in November. “Refresher Workshop on Job Descriptions” T&D has internally designed a refresher programme based on our internal requirements for Job Descriptions and the process for drafting the same. Designed for supervisors and above, this programme will enable them to understand the steps and process required to identify the tasks of a new position and draft job descriptions based on market practices.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Know your colleague
Know your
Colleague ‘‘ Team work makes me feel
strong and achieve more goals in my professional work. ‘‘ Youssef bin Khalfan Al-Alawi Please tell us about yourself I was born in Hillat Al-Fateh in the Wilayat of Al Seeb on February 15, 1980 as the fourth child among my brothers and sisters. My father is a trader and my mother is a housewife. I am married and blessed with three daughters. I reside in Seeb with my family.
Brief us on your educational background. I completed elementary and primary schooling from Ahmed Bin Al Numan School and secondary education from Hafs Bin Rashid School, both in the Wilayat of Seeb. After my school education, I attended a six-month course in hospitality at the National Institute of Hospitality. I started working with Sohar Shipping Agencies, a company specialising in logistics services such as customs clearance, shipping and transportation, where I worked for three years. In August 2004, I joined Suhail Bahwan Group’s Bahwan Logistics, which was earlier called Middle East Shipping and Transport Company.
What is your functional role? I supervise customs clearance and I am generally responsible for all customs related work for Bahwan Logistics at Port Sultan Qaboos, Duqm Port, Sohar Port, Al Misfah, borders at Salalah and Suwaiq. I also supervise a team that is responsible for customs-related work such as shipping, clearance, transport and obtaining required permits and ensure customers’ goods are cleared smoothly with hassle-free transactions. At times when my team mates find it difficult to get required clearance, I go personally to customs office and get the required shipment permits for customers. Team work makes me feel strong and achieve more goals in my professional work.
Youssef bin Khalfan Al-Alawi Clearance Clerk, Bahwan Logistics LLC
How has been your work experience so far? Since the day I joined Bahwan Logistics, I have received good support and encouragement from all my colleagues that has shaped me to be a very good team worker. After the initial days of hard work to learn the
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Know your colleague techniques, now I am in a position to do any work related to customs clearance. I have completed 19 years in this field and I will strive harder for success of the group in general and Bahwan Logistics in particular.
Which project or assignment has given you immense job satisfaction? Recently, my manager entrusted the responsibility of obtaining an important permit from customs which might have taken three or more weeks. Since it was very urgent relating to a major project involving our company, it was critical and I used all my good offices and was able to get it done in a single working day. This was lauded by one and all that made me feel proud. This experience also taught me a lesson that nothing is impossible when you work with perseverance and diligence as these are the two main pillars to be successful in life.
Any suggestion to improve the working environment at SBGH? Training courses are important to hone our job skills and teach us how to deal with any crisis that the company may face in the market. So, we need extensive courses for employees according to their areas of specialisation and job requirements. This, in turn, will help to achieve the desired goals.
What are your plans for the future? I would like to pursue higher studies in the field of logistics and I aspire to reach a senior position in the company. I am very thankful to Suhail Bahwan Group especially Bahwan Logistics for their confidence in me and for continuously encouraging me to discharge my duties.
How have your parents influenced you in life? I consider my parents as my life support system as their constant encouragement and continuous prayers have helped me reach this position in my life today.
How do you spend your leisure time? I play football, volleyball, read poetry and folklore.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Three SBGH Employees Selected for Government’s Prestigious ETIMAD programme Three employees from our Group companies - Mr. Khalifa Saleh M Al Jaradi, Deputy Manager at Bahwan Logistics and Mr. Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Toobi, Sales Officer, Bahwan Healthcare Centre and Mohammed Ibrahim Dyab Salamah, Telecom Engineer from Bahwan Projects and Telecoms- have been selected to the prestigious ETIMAD programme of the Ministry of Manpower. The trio were selected among 500 shortlisted candidates from 10,000 applicants across Oman’s private sector. The selection process involved candidates passing a number of tests and an interview. The competing candidates were evaluated on the basis of their general thinking capacities and their ability to deal with information, data and written patterns. They were also tested in personal skills, teamwork, task management, English proficiency, communication and comprehension and management skills. The strategy behind the ETIMAD Program is train and hone
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
the supervisory skills of qualified Omani nationals working in private sector organizations and prepare them for future leadership roles through high-level, high–impact leadership training program and thus increase the percentage of Omanis in the middle and upper managements in private sector organizations. Khalifa joined Bahwan Logistics in 1998 and has grown steadily with his dedication and consistent performance. Ahmed joined Bahwan Healthcare in 2004 as a sales man and over the years grew up the ranks with his people skills, sales and marketing techniques and hard work. Mohammed joined Bahwan Projects and Telecoms in 2017 in their Out Side plant (OSP) department handling the entire ESWAT Software for Omantel projects including managing Omantel’s database. Congratulations Khalifa, Ahmed and Mohammed!!
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Logistics Arranges First Heavy Lift Discharge of Gas Turbine and Generators for Duqm Power Company Bahwan Logistics successfully carried out the discharge of first set of five Gas Turbine and Generators, weighing at 90 tons from vessel M.V MAPLE LIV at Duqm Port Terminal in December. The discharge was carried out on a multiple heavy lift flatbed, multi axle trailers by Bahwan Logistics LLC. As several projects within Duqm Port are shaping up in 2020, the remaining four sets of turbines and generators will be discharged at Duqm by May 2020. Bahwan Logistics team headed by Mr. Khurshid Akthar, Senior Transport Manager, Mr. Said Subi , Journey Manager, Mr. Yosuf, Customs Clearance and Mr. Naser, Port supervisor ensured the operation carried out successfully along with EPC, Alghanim International representative Mr. Jabar Butt.
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Bahwan Logistics employees celebrate 49th National Day at Misfah office Employees of Bahwan Logistics at the Central Warehouse, Misfah celebrated the 49th National Day of the Sultanate of Oman with great passion and gaiety. The offices were decorated with flowers and festoons in national colours and cakes were distributed to all. Along with Mr Saurav Ghosh, General Manager, all employees thanked His Majesty Sulatn Qaboos bin Said for the nation’s progress and wished him long life.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Tourism Hosts Familiarization Trip for Russian tour operator Bahwan Tourism (BT) Inbound division hosted a familiarisation trip for a high-end luxury tour operator from Russia in October. BT guides Adil, Nabhan, Khalid, Nasser, Raj Sekhar, Deputy Manager and Subrat Mishra, National Sales Manager, ensured that Russian guests had a great time during their trip. Russia has always been a major market for Oman and this would help BT to generate high volume businesses from the Russian travel market.
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Bahwan Tourism promotes Oman at WTM, London Bahwan Tourism (BT) Inbound division participated in WTM London - one of the biggest global travel expo in the world, in November. Taking part in the Oman Pavilion along with Ministry of Tourism, Oman BT team headed by Gururaj, General Manager promoted Oman to visitors as well as other tour operators. Ms. Catherine, Business Development Manager, JTB, Europe, Ms. Tyler Baker, Account Manager, Conference & Incentive Department, JTB, UK, held discussions with BT team.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Europe-Based Tour Operator Visits Oman on Familiarisation and Site Inspection Trip Bahwan Tourism In Bound division hosted a familiarisation and site inspection trip for representatives from JTB UK & BENELUX along with their corporate clients from the UK. The BT team ensured the visitors are satisfied with meetings and business facilities and other aspects of Oman’s key destinations with a view to increase its meetings and incentives business.
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Bahwan Tourism Handles ground operations and shore Excursions for luxury cruise ship In a major boost to business, Bahwan Tourism (BT) successfully handled ground operations of one of the luxury cruise ships MSC Bellissima during its stop at Port Sultan Qaboos, Muscat. With over 4500 passengers on-board, BT had deployed a large team to manage the ground operations such as welcoming, transport/local tours etc. Despite the logistics challenges in handling such large number of guests, BT team pulled it off with excellent service quality winning the praise of the cruise management and guests! BT will be handling six more luxury ships for ground handling in this season. Well done BT team!!
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Travels takes part in Sultan Qaboos University’s Mazaya Exhibition Bahwan Travels’ business divisions Rent-A-Car (RAC) and Sky Souq participated in “Mazaya III” exhibition organised by Sultan Qaboos University in October. The event brought together 20 private companies, who presented their special offers, packages and discounts to SQU employees and students in a variety of areas including sports, tourism, cars, health, and education. The RAC division was represented by a strong team comprising of Ms. Maitha Rashid Khamis Al Balushi, Mr. Salim Hamood Saif Al Amri and Ms. Buthaina Salim Khalaf Al Riyami. The event attracted 700+ visitors varying from students to professionals who were briefed about car rental and leasing at attractive rates. Luxury cars were parked at the venue to give an idea of the range of cars available for rent with RAC. Sky Souq team used this opportunity to explain various holiday packages, special offers and cruise holidays to hundreds of visitors who visited the exhibition over two days.
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Bahwan Holidays takes part in ORPIC Road Show Bahwan Holidays and Bahwan Tours participated in a travel road show for Orpic company employees in Sohar in October. The team explained various holiday packages, special offers, cruise holidays and holiday packages exclusively designed for ORPIC employees. A number of employees and their family members visited the roadshow and showed keen interest in availing the holiday packages and offers.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Tourism Takes Part in Germany Road Show Bahwan Tourism Inbound division participated in the “Experience Oman Road Show” in Germany in October. Participating along with Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, and other major Destination Management companies, hotels & tour operators, BT promoted Oman to German visitors at the roadshow along with its attractive packages.
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German Tour Operator visits Oman on a site inspection trip Mr. Peter Franzisky, Owner of the Bedu Expedition, Germany, visited Oman on an inspection tour in November. The purpose of his visit was to finalize tours for the season 2020 and to get updates on new and existing hotels and infrastructure in Oman that would help them to promote Oman in a much larger scale and better way. Bedu Expedition is one of Bahwan Tourism’s largest tour operators in Germany supporting in business for last 10 years.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Travels wins another award at the Arabian Travel Mart Bahwan Tourism was adjudged as the “Best Outbound Tour Operator-Oman” at Arabian Travel Awards 2019- one of the popular events in the Middle East. The award was received by Mr. Gururaj SA , General Manager at Dubai in October 2019.
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Bahwan Healthcare Centre & National Life Launch New Health Insurance Scheme for SBGH employees Bahwan Healthcare Centre launched new Health Insurance Scheme for SBGH employees effective from 1st Nov 2019 in collaboration with Oman’s leading insurance company, National Life. New medical cards were issued to all employees and eligible family members. The new health insurance scheme provides members with a cashless referral facility that makes it convenient for SBGH staff members to get consultation and take treatment in approved private hospitals across Oman. Employees visiting Bahwan clinics for consultation and treatment are given referral letter to visit the specified hospital or clinic along with the National Life Medical card to take treatment without making any payment. Members were made aware of the terms & conditions of the new health insurance scheme through comprehensive video clips in English & Arabic and process document.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Healthcare Centre’s Dental Business Partner Visits Oman Mr. Michael Koll, Area Manager- Middle East and Africa and Mr. Enrico Werner, Country Manager-Oman, from M/s DURR Dental, Germany, one of Bahwan Healthcare Centre’s (BHC) principals, visited BHC Office in December. During the meeting with BHC General Manger and his dental business team they conducted a business review and goal setting for 2020 for DURR products in Oman. Established in 1941 in Germany, DURR Dental is a leading global player in dental care equipment, dental care and prophylaxis systems, consumables, materials for dental care and prophylaxis, instruments & accessories.
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Bahwan Healthcare Centre Organizes Orthopaedic Workshop at Sultan Qaboos University Bahwan Healthcare and its business partner J&J, arranged a two-day orthopaedic workshop for Synthes products in October that was attended by 20 participants including doctors and nurses. The workshop was conducted by Mr Thejaz Xavier, Clinical Education Manager, J&J, Dr. Sultan Al Maskari, Senior Consultant Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgeon at SQUH, Dr. Ahmed Yaseen, Orthopaedic Surgeon at SQUH and Dr. Mohammed Al Mutani Orthopaedic Surgeon at SQUH.
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SUHAIL | Know your colleague
Know your
Colleague ‘‘ Hard work will always be
rewarded in a professional life. If you are prepared to fight tough times and not give up under any circumstances, success is yours. ‘‘ Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Toobi
Please tell us about yourself. I was born on Aug.31, 1975 in the Wilayat of Al-Awabi in Al Alaya village in the south Al Batinah region. I am the eldest one among the four siblings. I am married and blessed with three sons and a daughter. My late father was a businessman and my mother a homemaker.
Brief us on your educational background and initial career. I finished my elementary school in Barkat Al Mouz in Nizwa from Sultan Qaboos Private School and my primary school from Moosa Bin Ali School in Al Khoudh. My secondary schooling was from the Commercial Secondary School in Al Khoud, where I secured first rank in the commercial division in the Sultanate. I joined the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) College of Commerce and Economics but due to some unforeseen circumstances I had to discontinue my studies. Later, I joined Muscat Pharmacy in 1998 and got my major career break in 2004 when I joined the Suhail Bahwan Group as a sales man in Bahwan Healthcare Centre, which was then known as Ibn Rushid Pharmacy.
What is your functional role? I have grown over the last 15 years of my service with BHC and now I am a sales executive. My job is to visit private pharmacies and ensure Bahwan pharmacy products with price tags are well-displayed at these pharmacies. I also clarify queries on medicines from pharmacists. I also
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Toobi Senior Sales Executive, Bahwan Healthcare Centre
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SUHAIL | Know your colleague prepare orders and coordinate with pharmacies. My job also involves follow-up of purchase invoices and coordinate with stores accordingly. I also collect the payment due from our customers either in cash or cheques and then ensure the same is deposited in the bank.
How has been your work experience so far? After joining BHC, I have gained lot of experience, especially in sales and marketing. Since most of the time I am on the field meeting people, it has taught me how to deal with customers and improve our business relationships. Apart from these, I also get to know prevailing market conditions and change our marketing style and win more customers. For all this hard work, SBGH had nominated me for Al Etemad programme, a government initiative for leadership development to enable the middle and higher Omani administrators in the private sector to take up higher responsibilities. I am glad I was successful in the selection process where I passed all tests and passed the interview also.
Any suggestions to improve the working environment at SBGH We need special training in sales and courses in Information Technology with the latest billing and financial collection programmes. This will give us an edge over our business rivals in the market and we can perform in a more efficient way.
What are your plans for the future? I want to complete my university studies and achieve more success in my professional life. I would like to contribute to increasing the company’s productivity and work hard to reach a senior position in this company.
How have your parents influenced you in life? Parents are the only people who cater to our needs from time to time. They have encouraged me in all my endeavours and always told me to work hard and sincerely. Hard work will always be rewarded in a professional life. They always tell me if you are prepared to fight tough times and not give up under any circumstances, success is yours.
How do you spend your leisure time? I like playing football, spend time with my family and also I like camping.
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Healthcare Centre Participates in Annual Symposium on Good Pharmacy Practice Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC) sponsored and participated in the 15th Annual Symposium on Good Pharmacy Practice conducted in December by the Directorate General of Pharmaceutical Affairs and Drug Control under the auspices of His Excellency Dr. Said bin Hamad al Rubaie, Secretary General of the Education Council. This conference mainly focused on topics such as Professional Excellence in Good Pharmacy Practice including working experience of an Omani Pharmacist in Private Pharmaceutical sector. Pharmacists working in ministry and private sectors attended the conference to gain CME points.
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Bahwan Healthcare Centre and National Pharma Organize Sales Review Goal Setting Meeting The pharmaceutical division of Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC) had recently met with their principal National Pharmaceuticals Industries, (NPI) Oman to conduct a joint sales review of 2019 and goal setting meeting for 2020. NPI is the first Pharmaceutical manufacturer in Oman and BHC has been its exclusive representative in the private market of Oman since inception. Present during the meeting were Mr. Suresh MV, CEO of NPI, Mr. Shorab Khanduri, Director, Sales & Marketing, NPI, Mr. Sanjay Suri, General Manager BHC, Mr. Trevor Fernandes Assistant General Manager and members of both teams.
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SUHAIL | Company news
BHC Conducts SMART Pharmacy Programme Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC), under the guidance of Ministry of Health organized a training programme “Continuous Professional Development (CPD)” and “Smart Pharmacy-Patient Care in Asthma Management and Control” for pharmacists recently. The objective of training was to establish professional relationship between pharmacists and patients that helps in achieving desired results from the treatment. Dr.K.Manogna Kumari, Head of Retail Business, provided training to pharmacists on the effective use of various devices used for Asthma treatment and its management. The training also covered importance of intervention of pharmacist to correct the poor inhalation practices of asthma patients for better Asthma control and management.
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Bahwan Healthcare Centre Attends Principal’s Business Review Summit Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC) attended the AJ Summit 2019 conducted by one of its principal’s, M/s A J Vaccines in Copenhagen, Denmark for business review and to carve out the growth strategy for 2020. The company commenced business in 2017 by taking over from Statens Serum Institut (SSI) - which was a wholly owned Danish Government Company. AJ Vaccines produces vaccines against Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Tuberculosis and Polio. BHC is the exclusive representative for AJ vaccines in Oman.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Clinic Moves to New Premises Bahwan Clinic which was working at Al Khuwair for several decades, has moved to a spacious building in Ghala recently. Spread over two floors, the fully equipped hospital with labs, x-ray and other facilities, is now able to handle more patients comfortably while a larger parking space right in front allows more cars to be parked. A Bahwan Pharmacy is also attached to the new building.
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Bahwan Healthcare Centre employee wins coveted “Best Pharmacist” award Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC) Pharmacist, Ms. Shillu Kuriakose has been declared as the “Pharmacist of the year2019” and bestowed with the Best Pharmacist award by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health selects the best pharmacist based on performance evaluation conducted by their inspectors during their routine visit and inspection of each pharmacy outlet. The award was presented at the 15th Annual Symposium on Good Pharmacy Practice by Director General Dr.Mohammed Hamdan Rubaie and H.E. Dr. Said bin Hamad al Rubaie Secretary General of the Education Council. The annual event is organized by Directorate General of Pharmaceutical Affairs under the umbrella of Ministry of Health. Congratulations Shillu!!
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Healthcare Centre organises External Pacemaker seminar for Royal hospital and Sultan Qaboos University Hospital Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC) organised a seminar on External Pacemaker in November 2019 for several cardiologists and technologists from the Royal Hospital and Sultan Qaboos University Hospital. Dr. Ismail Al Abri, Head of Department and Paediatric Electrophysiologist from Royal Hospital (National Heart Centre) explained various benefits of Medtronic External Pacemaker. The temporary pacemaker is intended to be used in conjunction with a cardiac pacing lead system, used in an environment where the patient is monitored continuously to ensure that it is operating properly and delivering appropriate therapy to the patient. BHC is the exclusive representative of Medtronic cardiac and other products in Oman.
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Bahwan Healthcare Centre Joins Ministry of Health and Sultan Qaboos University to Mark World Diabetes Day Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC) joined the Ministry of Health and Sultan Qaboos University Hospital to mark World Diabetes Day in November. BHC displayed Medtronic Diabetes products in its booth, which was visited by hundreds of doctors, nurses and para medical staff. The BHC diabetes business team explained key features and benefits of Medtronic diabetes products to visitors.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Healthcare Centre Employee Undergoes Training with Principal Miss Zahra Ahmed Hasan one of Bahwan Healthcare Centre’s Dental business division employees, recently underwent an Endodontic training conducted by the principal company, M/s Coltene in Germany. The training involved hands on training on Coleten’s new and latest dental equipment so that she can promote and service the same in Oman. Coltene is a global leader for dental consumables and small equipment covering the whole dental treatment process and BHC is its exclusive business partner for Oman.
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Bahwan Healthcare Centre participates in Kidney Day Conference in Sohar Hospital Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC) sponsored and participated in the Kidney Day Conference organized by Renal Dialysis unit, Suwaiq at Sohar Hospital in October 2019. The Director General, North Batinah region lauded BHC support for the event and presented a memento as a token of appreciation.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
BHC Installs first FUJI film Dry Chem analyser in Oman BHC has installed the Dri-Chem NX 500i Clinical Chemistry Automated Analyzer for the first time in Oman in one of the prestigious clinics. NX 500i is FUJI DRI-CHEM from FUJIFILM is a dry chemistry analyzer which can perform multiple test parameters of Clinical Chemistry. It has a built-in auto-pipetting system, requires no calibration and no water, providing easy preparation and maintenance. The new FUJI DRI-CHEM NX500 delivers results using a simple 3-step procedure with its quick, easy operation and compactness.
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Bahwan Healthcare Centre Upgrades Siemens Hemostasis Analyzer CS2500 at Sohar & Sur Hospital Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC) has upgraded the Siemens Hemostasis analyzer with its higher version of analyzer CS2500 at Sohar and Sur Ministry of Health Hospitals. The Siemens CS-2500 System is a Fully Automated Coagulation Analyzer which employs smartly designed technologies including assay-based pre-analytical sample, quality checks, automated mixing studies, automated platelet aggregation and clot waveform analysis. This analyzer of Siemens CS-2500 System takes hemostasis testing to the next level and helps labs truly excel with confidence.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan IT organizes client company Orpic visit to its strategic partner in London Bahwan IT recently organized a business visit of one of its key clients, Orpic to visit its strategic IT partner HPE’s Executive Briefing Centre in London. Since Orpic’s core IT infrastructure is built on HPE platform, the Orpic IT team met with HPE’s vertical experts from the UK, who briefed the visitors about HPE’s technology roadmap and also trending solution in Oil & Gas industry . HPE’s Synergy Hyperconverged systems, HPE Primera storage with InfoPath AI (Artificial Intelligence) tool, HPE GreenLake and Aruba Edge were the key points of technology briefing which was in line with Orpic’s expectation from the visit. Mr. Robert Amalraj – Business Manager Bahwan IT accompanied Orpic team during the visit.
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Bahwan IT signs agreement with SafeDrivePod Bahwan IT has signed an agreement with SafeDrivePod International BC, a Netherland based company, to market SafeDrivePod in the Sultanate of Oman. The SafeDrivePod provides solution for restricting the use of smartphones while driving and thus save lives of people. Statistics show that 25-30 percent of the accidents, i.e. over a million accidents in the world, are attributed to the use of phones while driving. SafeDrivePod International BC has developed a simple technology solution that can be fitted in the cars. The founders of the company Dr. Erik Damen and Mr. Paul Hendriks along with Bahwan IT team did presentations, meetings and conferences at many customer places during their recent visit to Oman.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan IT signs partnership with D2C for Managed security services Bahwan IT signed a strategic partnership with D2C, an Ooredoo company to provide managed security services in the Sultanate of Oman. As per this agreement, Bahwan IT will be the strategic partner for D2C to provide managed security services that includes Security Operations Center (SOC) as a service, managed Endpoint Detection & Remediation (EDR) and other security services. The agreement was signed by Mr. Anil Kumar General Manager Bahwan IT and Mr. Monther C hief Executive Officer of D2C. Mr. Ali Matani, Dy. GM of Bahwan IT and Mr. Khalid Al Balushi and others were also present.
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Bahwan IT launches Managed Security Services in collaboration with Data2Cloud Bahwan IT in association with data2cloud (d2c), an Ooredoo company, recently launched its managed security services portfolio. Eng. Said bin Abdullah al Mandhari, CEO of Oman Information Technology & Communication Group launched the services in the presence of Mr. Monther CEO of D2C, Mr. Anil Kumar, General Manager, Bahwan IT and Mr. Ali Matani, Deputy General Manager, Bahwan IT. The event was also attended by the officials from technology partner Encode Inc. as well as many officials from government and private enterprises. Bahwan IT is the strategic partner for the implementation of the managed security service platform and providing support to d2c and its customers.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan IT, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and VMware Organizes Tech Day in Salalah. Bahwan IT, along with its partner Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and VMware, organized a Technology Day seminar for its customers in Salalah. Subject experts from HPE and VMware conducted sessions highlighting the latest offering of ICT Technologies covering in detail the complete portfolio of tightly integrated and jointly engineered systems from any desktop or device to datacenter, cloud and beyond. The combination of HPE’s award-winning hyper-converged and composable infrastructure with VMware’s compute, storage and networking virtualization solutions dramatically improve both the value and business outcomes our customers experience. Most of Bahwan IT’s customers from Salalah attended this Tech Day.
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Bahwan IT organizes Technology Session in Sohar with Technology partners Along with its technology partners HPE & VMware, Bahwan IT organized a seminar in Sohar for its customers. Senior executives from HPE & VMware elucidated the digital transformation technology roadmap, which CTOs have started adopting in other regions. In digital transformation process, HPE & VMware together offer a consolidated platform for achieving high performance and is recommended for mission-critical applications. The combination of HPE, VMware & Bahwan IT offers any organization to achieve their goals in digital transformation. Participants were pleased with the event as it gave them a lot of insight to design their IT strategies
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan IT celebrates “Festival of Lights” Bahwan IT staff and family members celebrated the festival of Lights, Diwali - one of the most popular Indian festivals in November. Elaborate decorations with traditional lamps, candles, and flowers at the venue marked by traditional dances and cultural programmes by children as well as adults made the occasion colourful and enjoyable. The programme ended with a sumptuous vegetarian dinner. The event was one more occasion to Bahwan IT family to share and enjoy their rich heritage together.
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Bahwan IT Organizes Football Tournament for Employees Bahwan IT organized a football tournament in December as part of the company’s plan to stimulate social relations among employees and to improve the work environment. Four teams green, red, white, and black - played three games each. In the finals, Green team won with four goals against one goal by Red team. The green team was crowned the Bahwan IT Football Champions for the 2019 season. Tariq Al-Zadjali won the award of best player, while Rajab Al Qartobi won the title for the best scorer, and Boominathan Mohan took the cup for the best goalkeeper. Kudos to Mr. Anil Kumar and Jasim Al Balushi for the outstanding efforts in organizing the championship.
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan IT Debut Badminton League Makes a Mark in 2019 Bahwan IT ‘s newly formed Badminton League (BBL 2019) held its first edition tournament in October 2019 featuring 40 players from four groups-Red, Black, Blue and Orange- with each group having five teams consisting of two players each. All the matches were played in doubles. The day-long event saw BIT employees and their family members cheered the players when Black and Red team entered the semi-finals. Though Red team gave tough fight against the black team, the Black team lifted the BBL 2019 trophy.
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Bahwan IT Premier Cricket League Rounds off 2019 with a Great Match The Fourth Edition of Bahwan IT Premier Cricket League was held recently at Mabella Cricket Ground where the teams displayed some nerve-of-steel performance. There were four teams competing with each other. The finals were played between Super Strikers and Super-11. Excellent left-arm medium-pacer Jawad from the Super Striker not only surprised the crowd with his batting skills, but also bagged the man-of-the-series trophy too. Super Strikers registered a massive 8-wicket win over Super 11 to lift the BPCL 2019 Trophy.
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan IT Marks 49th National Day with a Clean Beach Campaign To mark Oman’s 49th National Day celebrations with a cause, Bahwan IT organized a Clean Beach Campaign. Sporting uniforms with Oman’s national colours of green, red and white, 49 employees took part in the beach cleaning activity at Qurum Beach behind the Embassy area. Both nationals and expatriate employees joined hands in the initiative “Clean Beach… Clean Air” as a social cause with great passion and enthusiasm. Well done Bahwan IT team!
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Projects and Telecoms organizes on-site training for client Following the purchase of three numbers of Leica GG04 & Zeno Mobile systems by Oman’s Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW), Bahwan Projects and Telecoms team organised a training and testing on site at Barka. The training included equipping the officials on the use of GIS systems and solutions using the new equipment.
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Bahwan Projects and Telecoms organizes Technical Training for Ministry of Defence Officials Following the purchase of two numbers of Leica P50 Scan Station by the Ministry of Defence, Bahwan Projects and Telecoms Leica team headed by engineer Yasser Sayed organized an on-site training programme in Buraimi for the ministry officials.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Projects and Telecoms organizes Live Demo of LEICA Products for Ministry of Heritage Bahwan Projects and Telecoms (BPT) along with its business partner Leica organised a live demo and product presentation to officials of the Ministry of Heritage in October. BPT engineer Yasser Sayed along with engineer Mustafa Gamal from Leica Geosystems, UAE explained the salient features of Leica products as well as a demo to the ministry officials.
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BPT Organizes Live Field Demo for Client Bahwan Projects and Telecoms (BPT) organized a visit by officials, from one of its clients, Al Tasnim Enterprises, to meet its business partner LEICA GeoSystems in Dubai for a live demonstration of Drone Aibot AX20 Pro, which they are intending to purchase for their projects . V. Sukumar, Asst. Manager from BPT along with Mr. Ali Dimachk, Segment Manager, UAV, Leica Geosystems, Dubai arranged for a full field demo that covered flight planning, setting the parameters, resolutions etc, Aibot flying and data collection in the field and back to the office for data downloading, processing workflow and export of the Data to Autocad. The customer was very much impressed and satisfied with the demonstration of the instrument.
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Projects and Telecoms and Garmin sponsor Oman’s UTMB Event Recently Bahwan Projects and Telecoms (BPT) along with its partner Garmin took part as one of the main sponsors in the OMAN by UTMB® event organised by Oman Sail. Mr.Waleed al Balushi, Mr. Ahmed & Mr. Rasheed were at the event promoting Garmin’s GPS and other navigational products which are marketed by BPT. OMAN by UTMB® is an ultra-trail along mountain top-ridges, through ancient villages, palm plantations, deep wadis and scenic gorges. The journey leads runners off the tourist tracks, allowing them to explore the Sultanate’s hidden gems located deep within its atmospheric and untouched landscape.
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Bahwan Projects and Telecoms Senior Executives Attend GITEX Technology Week Event Two executives from Bahwan Projects and Telcoms, Mr. Ravinder Raina and Mr. Mohammed Saad ELDeen Ibrahim recently travelled to Dubai to attend the GITEX Technology Week. They used this opportunity to develop BPT’s presence in the market, met with principals, explored new business partnerships and vendors besides attending technical sessions organised by international companies like NEC and Fujikura. They also identified new partnerships for core Telecom business i.e. INTRACOM telecom for fixed wireless solutions for which potential customers would be telecom operators , ISP and telecom infra companies.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Bahwan Electronics’ Year-End Warehouse Sale Once Again a Hit The annual year-end warehouse sale by Bahwan Electronics has become an event everyone is waiting for as goods are offered at great discount. This year’s sale attracted hundreds of employees and their families who had assembled at the Ghala warehouse even before the doors opened and all items were sold out on day one itself.
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Bahwan Electronics Bags Two Awards from Principal MIDEA Bahwan Electronics (BE) recently won the “Excellent Partner Award 2019” and “Excellent Channel Expansion Award 2019” from its business partner MIDEA. In a gala function “MIDEA Refrigerator Strategic Global Partner Conference” held at Guangzhou-China, the awards were presented to BE by Mr. Zeal Jiang-President of Midea Refrigerator Business unit and Mr. George Guo-Director of Midea Refrigerator business unit. BE took over the distributorship of Midea in Oman in 2017 and the brand has already taken an excellent position in Oman and today MIDEA is one of the leading brands in the country. MIDEA is the world’s No.1 company in air conditioners and appliances business.
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SUHAIL | Know your colleague
Know your
Colleague ‘‘ Employees should always feel comfortable at any work place only then he or she can put in the best efforts that, in turn, will help the company reap good dividends. ‘‘
Muhammad Othman Al-Balushi
Please tell us about yourself. I was born in Pakistan on 14 March, 1991 and I have three brothers and I am the last one among the siblings. My father retired from Bank Dhofar and my mother is a housewife. On the personal front, since I am still a bachelor, I reside with my parents in Al Khoud and looking for a suitable partner to begin my family life.
Brief us on your educational background. I completed my elementary and primary schooling from Musaab Bin Al Zubair School in Al-Khoud followed by my secondary schooling from AlKhoud Secondary School. After my school education, I joined the Oman International Exchange Company and later, with Jawad Sultan International where I worked in the sales department. Then, I moved to work with Rivoli watches in the sales department. I also had the opportunity to work in the Kia car sales division at Saud Bahwan Group. But it was in July 2015 I got a major breakthrough in my career when in I joined Suhail Bahwan Group’s Bahwan Electronics.
What is your functional role? At Bahwan Electronics, I follow up with payments from various ministries and other government sectors. I also sturdy and analyze the pros and cons of several tenders and brief my superiors on how Bahwan Electronics can benefit from them if approved. As such, I am involved in all procedures related to the tender process. I am also responsible for customs clearance of Bahwan Electronics’ goods and cargo at ports.
How has been your work experience so far?
Muhammad Othman Al-Balushi Sales Officer, Bahwan Electronics LLC
My earlier stints in several companies helped me gain a lot of work experience in sales related jobs which has helped me perform in a much better way at Suhail Bahwan Group. In Bahwan Electronics, my hands on
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SUHAIL | Know your colleague experience with companies following up for payments has helped me in honing my skills better. Most importantly, I learnt more on the tactics of dealing with different types of clients especially when I am representing a big corporate company like Suhail Bahwan Group as my job requires interacting with officials in all institutions and government agencies.
Which project or assignment has given you immense job satisfaction? As a sales officer at Bahwan Electronics, I achieved most of my sales targets set by superiors in a very short span of time and was lauded by all my colleagues. Since a major part of my job responsibility is to win contracts from big companies, I was really happy whenever we win a contract. Now, I am transferred to Credit& Collection Dept which is a more challenging responsibility than sales, as I have to collect all pending payments due from companies and institutions.
Any suggestion to improve the working environment at SBGH? Employees should always feel comfortable at any work place only then he or she can put in the best efforts that, in turn, will help the company reap good dividends. The company should ensure adequate training is provided to employees especially for sales team to help them acquire new skills and equip them with all the latest developments and changes in the job market.
What are your plans for the future? My ambition is to complete a master’s degree in business administration and serve this company at a senior level position. I am determined to put in extra efforts to achieve this.
How have your parents influenced you in life? My parents are everything in my life. It is through their constant prayers that I have reached a respectable position in my life. I owe everything to them for being successful till date. I always pray to the Almighty to keep my parents in good health with long life.
How do you spend your leisure time? I like taking part in sports and read books. I make sure to spend quality time with my family and friends.
October-December 2019 | Issue 23
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SUHAIL | Company news
Projects and Interior Design Division Completes New Showroom Project in Sur The plot of land at Sur, where BBM showroom was located earlier, has been totally redeveloped by Projects and Interior Design Division. This land mark project on the main axis road with modern architectural design with glass and aluminum paneled faรงade is another precious addition to the property portfolio of Suhail Bahwan Group. The new building consists of two spacious showrooms in the front and rear with back up warehousing spaces. The property has residential units as well. This project was executed by Projects & Interior Design Division from concept to completion with notable contribution by group companies like Bahwan Electronics, Bahwan Furnishings and Trading, Bahwan Building Materials and Bilad Oman.
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E-Commerce in Oman Are we ready?
It was on 11 August 1994 around noon Mr Phil Brandenberger of Philadelphia logged into his computer and used his credit card to buy Sting’s “Ten Summoners’ Tales” music album for $12.48 plus shipping.
E-commerce was born. This may not sound too exciting today as many of us, at some point of time, might have made online purchases or payments. But the fact is that ever since Phil Brandenberger made the first online purchase, ecommerce has grown by leaps and bounds. Today the global ecommerce retail market alone is estimated to reach US$27 trillion by 2020. And it is growing at 23% year-on-year according to Forbes and BigCommerce. In developed nations, e-commerce share ranges from 45-80% of total sales. Just to give an idea of the scale of major ecommerce players across the globe
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Amazon.com 2018 sales was US$232.887 billion
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Alibaba.com revenues approximately US$ 54.5 billion
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Flipcart.com revenues US$4.2 billion
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Souq.com(bought over by Amazon.com) US$500M (Estimated)
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Noon.com US$ 14 million (Estimated)
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GGC and Oman While the GCC and Oman markets are no comparison to the above examples, the region’s ecommerce is growing extremely fast, aided by smartphones and internet technologies. A study indicates that GCC ECommerce market is expected to touch $24 billion by 2020, while Oman’s eCommerce market size is estimated at US$ 480 million.
market in Oman. Faster adoption of mobile technology, evolutions in paid and digital media and a new wave of unique youth targeted products are key factors driving E-commerce growth in the region. The current e commerce market in Oman accounts only around 1% of GDP but considering the above factors, Oman is virtually an untapped market and there is a huge potential for ecommerce players in Oman market. https://ecommerceguide.com/guides/what-isecommerce/
With nearly 3.80 million people out of 4.90 million total population using internet actively, and over 2.50 million active social media users Oman ranks 2nd in the Middle East for online shopping. A study issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) reported that youth in the age group of 15 – 29 years constitute 30% of the total Omani population. The younger generation is rapidly adopting new technologies and social media, thereby, boosting the business to consumer (B2C) Ecommerce
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Down the Memory Lane…. During the course of Suhail Bahwan Group’s 50 years’ history, we have come across several events/occasions and landmarks many of which have been photographed and preserved for posterity. In this issue, we present you with a set of rare photographs of our Chairman Sheikh Suhail Bahwan on various occasions.