Corporate Values
Ahlan Wa Sahlan We welcome customers as guests in our own homes, making them feel special, seeking to understand and meet their expectations, acting as ambassadors of our company.
One Team, One Family We believe in working together, building strong relationships, celebrating diversity in business and culture; respecting each other, contributing positively to the society we live in.
Our Word is Our Bond We believe in honest and open communication, doing the right thing, taking responsibility for our own actions, delivering as promised, on time, every time.
Our Company and Us We are the face of our company, what we do and say and how we behave directly impacts our company. We are conscious of our company’s reputation and its status.
Our Customers and Us We put customer first, we think from customer’s perspective, we help customer make informed decision and we strive to create a complete ‘customer experience’.
IN-HOUSE NEWSLETTER OF SUHAIL BAHWAN GROUP VOLUME 02 | ISSUE 07 OCTOBER/DECEMBER 2015
FROM MANAGING DIRECTOR’S DESK Dear Colleagues Welcome to the 2015’s last edition of Suhail, our SBGH family newsletter. As most of you know, 2015 has been a challenging year, especially the last quarter, with businesses impacted by the oil price touching the lowest level in five years. Nevertheless, some of our group companies have managed to perform well, while some had to face the brunt. In a dynamic business environment such ups and downs are not uncommon; while some may perceive them as challenges, I look at them as opportunities. By March 2016, our Group will be completing half a century in business and over the years, we have successfully weathered many such challenges and have grown from strength to strength. The recent budget announcement by the Government is one example of how positively we can look at the year ahead. “The 2016 general budget aims to stimulate economic growth through continued development spending on the economic and social priority projects and to provide the necessary support to further private sector investments”. This clearly indicates there are plenty of opportunities for the private sector. The challenge is how best we identify and grab these opportunities.
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
Market conditions keep changing continuously; what worked a year ago might not work now, especially in this digital age. Therefore it is imperative that we all need to revisit and update our business plans regularly. Making the best use of our finances should be a key element in business planning and assessing new opportunities. I am sure, the year ahead will be a promising one. Let us all work together, achieve together and make it a more successful year! Enjoy reading the issue.
Amal Suhail Bahwan
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
03 India’s New Ambassador to Oman Meets Chairman
04
Omani Women’s Day Celebrated with Joy and Pride
Know Your Colleague
Oman Air Senior Officials Meet with MD
15 23 30
BBM Opens Renovated BPT Wins The “Best Showroom in Sohar Exhibitor Award”
17 09
24
MD Visits BE New Showroom at Avenues Mall
BHC Trade Principal Meets MD… 05 | Bahwan Logistics Achieves Major Milestone in Oman’s Transportation History... 07 | SUHAIL’s National Day Special Edition Receives Appreciation...08 |
Training and Development Division Completes
Series of Workshops on Sales Skills...11-12
|
Distinguished Employees of the Month…13-14 |
Bahwan Electronics Business Partner Takes
Dealers on A Rewarding Tour… 18
| A Year of
Awards!!… 22 | BEC Celebrates 45 th National Day… 26 and Much More…
THE FUTURE OF OMPUTING THE HYBRID CLOUD
25 33-34
INDIA’S NEW AMBASSADOR TO OMAN MEETS CHAIRMAN
His Excellency Mr. Indra Mani Pandey, who recently joined as Ambassador of India to the Sultanate of Oman, met with our Chairman Sheikh Suhail Bahwan at the Al Rawaq Head quarters. Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member of SBGH, was also present at the meeting. Mr. Pandey appreciated the centuries old relationship between Oman and India and the business relations between Indian companies and SBGH Group.
JAPAN AMBASSADOR MEETS CHAIRMAN His Excellency Mr. Mitsugu Saito, who has recently assumed office as the Japan’s ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, called on our Chairman Sheikh Suhail Bahwan at the Al Rawaq Headquarters.The ambassador appreciated the long-term relationship between our Group and Japanese companies and discussed further strengthening the relationship and cooperation. Mr. Omar Bahwan, Board Member of the Suhail Bahwan Group, was also present during the meeting.
03 | Suhail 2015
OMAN AIR SENIOR OFFICIALS MEET WITH MANAGING DIRECTOR In further strengthening the long-standing business relationship between Oman Air and Bahwan Travels, Mr. Mahfood Al Harthy, Chief Sales Officer, and Mr. Mustafa Elhamoui, Commercial Manager-Oman, Oman Air, recently met with Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member, at our headquarters. Both discussed ways to further promote the national carrier as the preferred airline among corporates as well as support the airline’s new routes through its marketing activities. Mr. Al Harthy presented Ms. Amal Bahwan a scale model of Boeing Dreamliner aircraft that has recently joined Oman Air’s fleet. Bahwan Travels has been working closely with Oman Air in promoting both inbound and outbound tourism.
SOGEX OMAN SENIOR OFFICIAL VISITS SBGH Recently Dr. Suhaib Abudayyeh, Business Development Manager, SOGEX Oman, accompanied by Mr. Maxmiliano Antonio Ades, General Manager of Acciona MENA, visited our headquarters and met with Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member. The two officials discussed with Ms. Amal Bahwan about growing business opportunities in Oman in the areas of infrastructure, renewable energy, water and services. ACCIONA is one of the major Spanish business corporations and a leader in the development and management of infrastructure, renewable energy, water and services.
04 | Suhail 2015
BAHWAN HEALTH CARE CENTER TRADE PRINCIPAL MEETS MANAGING DIRECTOR Mr. Muhieddine Makkouk, Senior Director of Gilead Sciences from the UK, met our Managing Director and Board Member Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan and thanked her for the business support for over two decades and the significant inroads both BHC and Gilead have gained into Oman market. They also discussed at length the potential growth drivers for 2016. Gilead Sciences is among the top 10 research-based bio-pharmaceutical company in the world and the main therapy areas are HIV, Hepatitis C/B & Oncology. Recently they have opened an office in Dubai which supports the Middle East region.
DHL MIDDLE EAST CEO MEETS WITH MANAGING DIRECTOR DHL Global Forwarding, the world’s biggest Freight Forwarding Company, was established in Oman in 2000 as a joint venture with SBGH. Recently, Mr. Claudio Scandella, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa (MEA), visited SBGH Head Quarters and met with the Managing Director Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan. During the meeting, Mr. Claudio briefed on the DHL vision of “The Logistics Company for the World” and its growth plans in Oman and thanked Ms. Amal Bahwan for the great support. Mr. Roy Scaria CFO, DHL-Oman, and Mr. Rahul Kar, Finance Advisor to SBGH Chairman, also joined the discussion.
05 | Suhail 2015
EDUTECH TOP MANAGEMENT MEETS MANAGING DIRECTOR Mr. ASF Karim, Managing Director, Ms. Shameema Parveen, Chief Executive Officer of Edutech, accompanied by Mr. Venkatesh LS, Chief Operations Officer, Edutech, and Mr. Ammar Sawalmeh, Business Manager, Edutech, recently met with Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, our Managing Director and Board Member. The Edutech delegation thanked Ms. Amal Bahwan for all the support rendered to them over the past years in developing Edutech business in Oman. The delegation was accompanied by Mr. Janaki Raman, Former General Manager, Bahwan IT LLC, Anil Kumar, Assistant General Manager and Acting Head of Bahwan IT. Edutech is a leading provider of learning solutions and services for academic institutions, companies and government.
MANAGING DIRECTOR OPENS MEETHAQ BRANCH AT AL RAWAQ Meethaq- the Islamic Banking arm of Bank Muscat - recently opened its exclusive branch at Al Rawaq building. Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member of our Group was the guest of honour on the occasion. Ms. Amal Bahwan inaugurated the state-of-the-art branch by cutting the ceremonial ribbon in the presence of dignitaries and senior officials of the bank. Mr. Sulaiman Al Harthy, Group General Manager, explained the various services offered by Meethaq while Ms. Sharifa Mazar Al Hooti, Branch Manager, took her around the bank. Ms. Amal Bahwan congratulated Meethaq for extending its network across Oman and setting a benchmark for Islamic banking operations in the country.
06 | Suhail 2015
SENIOR OFFICIAL FROM PANALPINA VISITS SBGH Mr. Michael Otte, Europe –Middle East Trade-lane Development Manager, from Panalpina, one of the world’s leading providers of supply chain solutions and a major business associate of Bahwan Logistics, recently visited our Headquarters and met Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member. During the meeting they explored possibilities of greater participation in terms of Projects Management and Freight Management and Warehousing in Oman.
BAHWAN LOGISTICS ACHIEVES MAJOR MILESTONE IN OMAN’S TRANSPORTATION HISTORY Adding one more feather to its cap, Bahwan Logistics (BLL) recently completed 1.3 Million kilometers of transportation for coated steel pipes delivery. This includes a project of delivering 3400 nos of 18 meterlong steel pipes (each pipe weighing 8 MT) from Port Duqm to BP Khazzan site covering 8,800 km by 8 trailers from Aug 2015 to Dec 2015, without any break or weekends. BLL is the first transport company in Oman to execute the transportation of 18 meter long steel pipes from any port in Oman to site. It was a prestigious project from BP Khazzan for its vendor BAO Steel, China, awarded to our principal collaborator Panalpina to deliver steel pipes from Shanghai to Duqm Port. BLL executed the entire transportation under the strict HSE standards of BP without any LTI, accident or major breakdown. With this project BLL has once again proved its dependability, reliability and high safety standards. Mr. Matthias Manthei, Country Head of Energy Solutions Panalpina UAE, visited Oman recently to take stock of the project. He also met Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member, and discussed Duqm project and explored possibilities of greater participation in terms of upcoming projects management in Oman.
07 | Suhail 2015
SUHAIL’S NATIONAL DAY SPECIAL EDITION RECEIVES APPRECIATION Commemorating the Sultanate’s 45th National Day celebrations, SBGH published a special edition of Suhail with photographs of our Chairman Sheikh Suhail Bahwan and Managing Director Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan celebrating the grand occasion with joy and pride. Every one appreciated our Managing Director’s gesture to come out with a special edition as a tribute to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said.
08 | Suhail 2015
OMANI WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATED WITH JOY AND PRIDE Omani women employees of Suhail Bahwan Group companies celebrated Omani Women’s Day with joy and pride at the Group’s Headquarters – Al Rawaq in Qurum. Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member of Suhail Bahwan Group, joined her Omani colleagues to celebrate the occasion with the cutting of a cake. Addressing the Omani women employees, Ms. Amal Bahwan Said, “Suhail Bahwan Group is pleased to celebrate this great day as this is an honour for the Omani women, appreciating and recognizing their contributions, achievements and values they bring to the Omani society. Each one of us should feel that we are working for our own company not just as an ordinary employee and make sincere effort to achieve as a team member.” Omani Women’s Day is celebrated in response to the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said allocating 17 October as the day for the Omani women.
09 | Suhail 2015
SBGH SPONSORS OMAN AIR FOOTBALL TEAM’S AVIATION WORLD CUP PARTICIPATION SBGH recently sponsored Oman Air football team to take part in the Etihad Airways Aviation World Cup 2015. The matches were held in Abu Dhabi in December. The Oman Air Foot Ball team is one of the active teams among the GCC airlines’ football clubs and was also the champions in the last edition of the Aviation World Cup.
SUHAIL BAHWAN GROUP’S 2016 CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS GROUP COMPANIES Every year our Group’s calendar is published with a theme in focus. This year we have focused internally to highlight some of our own group companies. Featuring Bahwan Projects & Telecoms, Bahwan Logistics, Bahwan Steel and Trading, Bilad Oman, Bahwan Furnishings and Trading and, Bahwan International Properties. The sixpage format calendar presents each company with a short description in a silhouette design. The calendar was designed completely in-house by Media and Communications Division.
10 | Suhail 2015
EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE Recognizing the fact that “Customer’s satisfaction and loyalty” is one of the core pillars of any organization, the Human Resources and Administration Department had organized a series of workshops on “Excellence in Customer Service” for SBGH employees. More than 110 employees from various divisions of SBGH businesses benefitted from the workshops that spanned over 10 weeks. Delivered by Ramesh Narayanan, Manager Human Resources and Mohammed Sobhi, Training Coordinator, the workshops focused on the importance of service standards and its impact on customer’s experience, assisting the team to think from customer’s perspective, preparing the
11 | Suhail 2015
team to handle demanding customers and difficult situations, understanding clients, identify their needs and create positive first impressions, understanding the importance of customer service to the organization’s success, understanding the benefits and opportunities derived from exceeding customer expectations. Participants were encouraged to engage in effective interactions and discussions, and exchange their views and experiences as well as suggest ideas on how to maximize sales and profitability.
12 | Suhail 2015
Distinguished Emp
SEPTEMBER 2015 1] Khalsa Khalifa Hamed Al Amri, Programmer, Information Services Department | 2] Biju Charaparambil, CNC Programmer, Bahwan Furnishings and Trading LLC | 3] Farah Hassan Daran Raeisi, Accounts Executive, Finance & Accounts Division | 4] Jeral P Davy, Junior Officer, Internal Audit Division | 5] Rehan Husain, Senior Sales Engineer, Bahwan Building Materials LLC | 6] Sunil Antony Lewis, Assistant Supervisor, Bahwan Projects and Telecom LLC | 7] Daniel Mincy Mariamma, Sales Consultant, Bahwan IT LLC | 8] Remesh Palakal, Assistant Manager, Bahwan Logistics LLC | 9] Sanjay Kumar Carpenter, Bahwan Electronics Furnishing and Trading LLC | 10] Ganesan Umamaheswaran, Commercial Officer, Bahwan Healthcare Center LLC | 11] Leo M J Rodrigues, Officer-Administration, Human Resources & Admin. Division | 12] Samira Nasser Mohd Al Sawafi, Ticketing Staff, Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC | 13] Pathrose Shaji, Foreman, Bahwan Steel & Trading Company LLC | 14] Ahmed Abdullah Saif Al Rawahi, Supervisor, Bilad Oman LLC
OCTOBER 2015 1] Varkey George, Oracle Apps Techno-Functional Professional, Information Services Department | 2] Aravindan Achari, Charge Hand, Bahwan Furnishings and Trading LLC | 3] Sameera Mohammed Noormohammed Al Zadjali, Executive F&A, Finance & Accounts Division | 4] Badar Saleh Salim Al Ghailani, Deputy Manager-Internal Audit, Internal Audit Division | 5] Jaber Haramal Salim Al Hattali, L.V Driver, Bahwan Electronics LLC | 6] Salim Rashid Khalfan Al Hiniai, L.V Driver, Bahwan Building Materials LLC | 7] Khalid Darwish Sulaiman Al Balushi, Telecom Technician, Bahwan Projects and Telecoms LLC | 8] Khalil Mohd Khalil Al Bahrani, Senior Executive, Bahwan IT LLC | 9] Hamed Ali Mubarak Al Rawahi, Custom Clearance Clerk, Bahwan Logistics LLC | 10] Abdul Riyaz, Sales Executive, Bahwan Electronics Furnishing and Trading LLC | 11]Faisal Saud Qasim Al Qasmi, Collection Supervisor, Bahwan Healthcare Center LLC 12] Harinandhanan E K, Admin Executive, HR and Administration | 13] Jhunu John, Senior Sales Executive, Bahwan Steel and Trading Company LLC | 14] Sargunan M, Erection Engineer, Bilad Oman LLC | 15] Sinoj Abraham, Executive-Ticketing, Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC | 16] Aravind A Nair, Manager Facilities, Bahwan Properties LLC | 17] Shaikh Mohammad Asif, Sales Representative, Bahwan Electronics LLC
13 | Suhail 2015
loyees of the Month
NOVEMBER 2015 1] Shifa Hilal Issa Al Yahmadi, Senior Assistant-IT Support, Information Services Department | 2] Mohammed Ahmed, Junior Officer-Accounts, Finance & Accounts Division | 3] Manikandan K, Foreman, Internal Audit Division | 4] Prasanth Ravindran, Manager-Sales, Bahwan Electronics LLC | 5] Joseph Gitlar, Assistant Manager-Sales, Bahwan Projects and Telecom LLC | 6] Baskaran Chellamuthu, Customer Support Engineer, Bahwan IT LLC | 7] Venkata Ramakrishna K, Senior Service Executive, Bahwan Healthcare Center LLC | 8] Suresh Kumar, Plumber, Human Resources & Admin. Division | 9] Renjith Kumar Nair, Senior Executive-Sales, Bahwan Steel & Trading Company LLC | 10] Yathindran T, Junior Executive, Bilad Oman LLC | 11] Subash N S, Executive, Chairman Office 12] Maryam Salim Rashid Al Balushi, Sales Representative, Bahwan Travel Agencies LLC | 13] Pradeepan Pacharath, Assistant Manager - Sales, Bahwan Building Materials LLC | 14] M V Mohamed Ali Abdul Nazar, Cargo Supervisor, Bahwan Logistics LLC
SBGH BIDS FAREWELL TO SAM Mr. Samuel R. Paul, Senior Manager, Bahwan Projects and Telecoms, recently bid farewell after serving our Group for 24 years. During his service, Sam’s contribution has been substantial and recognisable; he performed consistently well in getting large orders, following up with payments and developing customer relations particularly with Omantel and Ooredoo officials, suppliers and sub-contractors . Appreciating his contributions, Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member, congratulated Sam and presented him with a memento.
14 | Suhail 2015
Know your Colleague Saleem Bin Obaid Bin Saleem Al Sharji Assistant Manager, Internal Audit Department Who says given a chance, Omanis will deliver in all fields 1] Please tell us about yourself. I was born in 1974 in the Wilayat of Al Mudhaibi. My father was working with Al Hashar Group and now he is retired. I married in 2004. 2] Brief us on your educational qualifications? After completing my secondary education in Al Mudhaibi, I joined Suhail Bahwan Group but I continued my further education. I joined the Technology and Training Institute and got the National Verification Qualification (NVQ) certificate in 1995. 3] Can you brief us on your career so far? I joined SBGH in 1993 as an accountant trainee in the Internal Audit Department. I used to attend classes in the morning and after 4pm I used to work in SBGH for two years. After seven years of good work, I was promoted as Audit supervisor. From 2001 to 2012, I was visiting various branches and offices. Now I am at Al Rawaq building. 4] What is your functional role? I am responsible for reviewing and auditing cheques and bills as well as ATM cards of group companies. I also make surprise visits to some of the group companies. Financial audit requires accurate work with all details and procedures related to the companies’ expenses, as well as looking into/enquiring every small detail to ensure that all financial transactions are made as per the company policy. 5] How has been your work experience so far? Working in Internal Audit division has helped me gain vast experience in terms of dealing with different companies and employees. I can proudly say that at SBGH I have honed my English language skills and I always make it a point to complete my work on time by adhering to deadlines. 6] Which project/assignment has given you immense job satisfaction? What have you learnt on the job? It was about 10 years back, when I made surprise inspection visit to one of our group companies on a tip off about major financial irregularities. After the inspection, I ensured procedures were
15 | Suhail 2015
set right that helped to save substantial money to the company. This was appreciated by the management and my seniors. I also got the Best Employee Award twice in 2014 and 2015, which encourages me to work hard and achieve more. 7] Any suggestions for improving the work environment. Human resource is the most important element in the work system, so training and development for employees requires more attention. This will boost work performance of the employees and the group. I also hope the staff strength in our division is increased in order to complete our work much faster. Now we are undertaking inspection visits every two months, which is not at all a good sign. 8] Your ambition in life…Future Plans? I will continue to do my best in my work to secure more appreciations and promotions and move further up in my career. I am also hoping to purchase a new house in Muscat. 9] How have your parents influenced your life/career? My father always advised me to stick to one company for a long time and he was against changing jobs as I won’t be able to hone my vocational skills. My mother’s prayers also have given me more strength to achieve my goals in life. 10] How have your parents influenced your life/career? I like playing and watching football. My favourite teams are Brazil and Germany. I like mountain climbing and search for Omani honeycombs, as my brother has an apiary. I also spend some time with my friends and family.
MANAGING DIRECTOR VISITS BAHWAN ELECTRONICS NEW SHOWROOM AT AVENUES MALL Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member, recently visited the Bahwan Electronics’ new showroom at Avenues Mall. Mr. Parasuram Iyer, General Manager, and his colleagues received her and took her around the showroom and showed her the products on display. The state-of-the-art showroom showcases a wide range of Seiko and Titan brands exclusively.
17 | Suhail 2015
BAHWAN ELECTRONICS BUSINESS PARTNER TAKES DEALERS ON A REWARDING TOUR Acknowledging the fantastic performance of Bahwan Electronics (BE) to promote Cooline brand ACs in Oman market, the Cooline management recently took top 25 dealers and their sales staff along with BE staff members to Georgia, the new and upcoming tourist destination in Europe. During the four-day trip, dealers were taken on a tour of the capital city Tbilisi and surroundings. The dealers were highly appreciative of BE and Cooline for recognizing their performance. As for BE, the trip was an important milestone as it will go a long way in building goodwill with our channel partners and help us further build our business. The trip was organized by Bahwan Travels.
18 | Suhail 2015
BAHWAN TRAVEL SERVICES SUPPORTS INDIA TOURISM ROADSHOW In continuation of their efforts to educate the Travel Trade on the electronic visa application facility being provided by the Government of India, India Tourism, in association with Air India and Bahwan Travel Services conducted a seminar for the travel agents in Sohar. The platform was also used to showcase India as an exciting tourist destination for Omani nationals and other residents of Oman. Bahwan Travel Services and Indian Tourism have conducted similar events in Muscat and Salalah in the recent past.
NETHERLANDS TOUR OPERATORS VISIT OMAN Silverjet Netherlands, one of Bahwan Tourism’s reputed representatives in Holland, organised a Fam Tour to Oman bringing in their top 11 Travel Agents and Tour Operators recently. Bahwan Tourism took them on a tour showcasing the beauty, culture and heritage of Oman. The visitors were highly impressed with the beauty of the forts, beaches, wadis and of course the people of Oman.
19 | Suhail 2015
BAHWAN TOURISM SHOWCASES OMAN AT THE UK EXPO Bahwan Tourism, along with the Oman Ministry of Tourism participated in the largest tourism expo, World Travel Market (WTM) in London between 2 and 5th of November 2015. Bahwan Tourism was represented by S.A. Gururaj, General Manager, along with tour executive Ms. Yousra Zahran Shikan Ali Al Busaidi. The Oman Ministry of Tourism delegation was headed by Her Execellency Maitha Al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Tourism. The World Travel Market is the largest travel & tourism event in the international travel industry and every year the expo attracts over 50,000 delegates from nearly 186 countries partaking in the event. The Oman pavilion was having 24 industry partners including Bahwan Tourism. Bahwan Tourism had a fruitful business discussion with more than 50 operators from France, Germany, GCC, Italy, UK etc.
BAHWAN TOURISM STAFF TAKE PART IN THOMAS COOK TRAVEL CONCLAVE Thomas Cook India recently conducted its annual conclave for its NRI GSA partners in Mumbai, India, to educate and update their new and existing products which would be launched in 2016. VG Ramkumar and Reem Moosa Alharbi from Bahwan Tourism took part in the conclave along with GSA partners from Oman, UAE, Saudi, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Tanzania. Mr. JP Singh, Vice-President- Leisure Thomas Cook, presented awards and certificates for the participants during the gala dinner at the end of the conclave.
20 | Suhail 2015
SIXT RENT-A-CAR GLOBAL MEET Sixt Rent-A-Car, which is represented in Oman by Bahwan Tourism, recently organized its 19th Annual Global SIXT Convention at Monte Carlo, Monaco. Manjunath Bhat, Head of Operations, Sixt Rent-A-Car, attended the convention where various topics such as twin challenges (growth & stability), culture of new business model, the power of tomorrow, incremental sales, expansion etc. were discussed. Manjunath used this opportunity to meet with the top officials of Sixt and discussed several business issues.
BAHWAN TRAVELS ACCOMPLISHES A REMARKABLE FEAT OTTB, a division of Bahwan Travels has accomplished a remarkable feat by organizing the largest charter operation for Haj in 1436 Hijiri year. In all, OTTB operated eight flights including five exclusive charters from Saudi Arabian Airlines with 100% flight load carrying a total of 2482 haj pilgrims. This is the largest and first of its kind charter operation by a travel agency in the Sultanate of Oman. With the support from Mr.Abdulkareem AlRobayan, General Manager- Middle East & Gulf, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and his entire team including Mr. Dawoud Al Dikhari, local station manager in Riyadh, RB Vaidya, Manager, OTTB and his team accomplished the complicated operations without any hitches. Kudos to Vaidya and his team for the mission accomplished!
21 | Suhail 2015
A YEAR OF AWARDS!! Despite the challenges 2015 has been a year of awards and accolades for some of our Group’s companies. Here we present the honours won by our Group companies for their achievements/performances.
Bahwan Projects and Telecoms wins Omantel’s “Best Contractor of the Year” award
Bahwan Travels wins Thai airways’ “Outstanding Achiever” award
Bahwan Tourism wins “Royal Caribbean Cruise Liners Loyalty” award
Ministry of Health honours Bahwan Healthcare for CSR activities
Microsoft confers “TechMaster” award to Bahwan IT
Bahwan Electronics wins Toshiba’s “Silver” award for best sales
22 | Suhail 2015
Know your Colleague Waleed Bin Mousa Al Baloushi Senior executive sales, Bahwan Projects and Telecoms
He is fond of technology and always in pursuit of latest technological development 1] Please tell us about yourself. I was born in 1978 in the governorate of Muscat. My father was working in Royal Oman Police. He passed away in 2015. I am married and blessed with two sons and two daughters. 2] Brief us on your educational qualifications? I completed my basic education from Hafs Bin Rashid school for Primary Education and preparatory education in Al Mabela South school. After completing my secondary education from Ruwi School, I studied mechanics in National Training Institute. I have also attended a number of courses in English language. After working at Oman Cables Company for a year, I joined the Suhail Bahwan Group in 1999. 3] Can you brief us on your career so far? I joined Bahwan Projects and Telecoms as a public relations officer. After four years, I was promoted as technical supervisor for printers, later as a sales executive in sales division for Garmin devices. Since 2013, I am working as senior executive sales. 4] What is your functional role? I am responsible for getting purchase orders for navigation devices and sending orders to Britain (Garmin headquarters), prepare bills and other procedures, as well as liasing with UK to receive the goods. I am also responsible for installing software and programming of Garmin devices. I follow-up and undertake field visits to the costumers’ project sites to provide technical support and help them optimize the use of the devices. I also organize and conduct workshops for government authorities. 5] How has been your work experience so far? I have gained vast experience in the field of sales after joining the company. I have maintained good relations with many companies and government authorities. Since I have a good knowledge of the specifications and other technical information
23 | Suhail 2015
about Garmin devices, I have established a good rapport with our customers; this has helped me understand what customer satisfaction is. 6] Which project/assignment has given you immense job satisfaction? What have you learnt on the job? Work satisfaction is insatiable and if we get more and more orders and meet our monthly targets, I am happy. On the other hand, I have received several opportunities to learn such as the annual training programmes organised by Garmin, training programmes in Turkey, Cyprus and Dubai. I am thankful to our company for giving me such opportunities to hone my skills and technical knowledge about Garmin devices. I am able to improve my knowledge which in turn builds my self-confidence to perform better. 7] Any suggestions for improving the work environment? I think the sales team requires lot of motivation to do their work in an enthusiastic way to achieve the set targets. I hope continuous training and encouragement from the management and colleagues will help achieve our sales objectives. 8] Your ambition in life‌Future Plans? I hope to further my academic knowledge with better qualification and boost my career prospects. I also hope to fulfill my family goals and to be able to fulfill all their needs and requirements. 9]How have your parents influenced your life/career? My father always encouraged me to work hard. He was always happy whenever I secured promotion. My mother’s prayers are also responsible for what I have achieved and what I am today. 10] How do you spend your leisure time? What are your interests/ hobbies? I play football and I like walking, I watch movies and also like to spend quality time with my family.
BAHWAN BUILDING MATERIALS OPENS RENOVATED SHOWROOM IN SOHAR Ms. Amal Suhail Bahwan, Managing Director and Board Member, recently inaugurated the renovated Bahwan Building Materials’ (BBM) showroom in Sohar in the presence of VIPs, customers and trade partners from Sohar and Muscat. BBM, which has been serving the region’s customers for over 30 years, recently underwent an extensive renovation with new décor and interiors to showcase popular Spanish, UAE, Chinese and Indian brands of tiles, sanitary ware, faucets, accessories, kitchen sinks and vanity cabinets. Popular brands include RAK Kludi, Vives Ceramica, Royo Group, Ideal Standard and other well-known Indian and Chinese brands.
24 | Suhail 2015
BAHWAN PROJECTS & TELECOMS WINS THE “BEST EXHIBITOR AWARD” AT OMAN GEOSPATIAL EXPO Bahwan Projects & Telecoms (BPT) won the “Best Exhibitor Award” at the recently concluded Oman Geospatial Forum held at Sultan Qaboos University. The award was given for showcasing two of its major technologies in the field of Geospatial & Navigation brands BPT represents in the Sultanate of Oman and for the best stall design. In a custom-designed stall at the expo, Bahwan P&T displayed the latest, specialized survey-solutions equipment products from Leica Geosystems, Switzerland, and innovative GPS/navigation technology products from Garmin, USA. A large number of government officials, engineering professionals and contractors from various private and public sectors, students specializing in geo-engineering visited the stall. BPT has been a regular participant at the Geospatial event which is an important forum that promotes our business and product to a target audience.
25 | Suhail 2015
BEC CELEBRATES 45TH NATIONAL DAY Bahwan Engineering Company (BEC) employees celebrated the Sultanate’s 45th National Day at its head office in Muscat to thank His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said for his wise leadership, wisdom and vision for the development and prosperity of Oman. Mr. Amar Khamis Al Gharbi compered the event while Ms. Thuraia Al Maamri in her speech highlighted the successful journey of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the development of the nation followed by the translation in English by Ms. Aisha Al Farsi. During the celebration, the Omani poet Mr. Mohammed Al Breiki recited ‘Kasida’ a short poem praising His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the nation on its 45th National Day. The event concluded with traditional Omani songs and dance performed by a folk band from Al Batinah region.
26 | Suhail 2015
BIT SIGNS ERP SOLUTION CONTRACT WITH IBN NAAMANI IBN Al Naamani, a well-known Omani company, has recently entrusted the implementation of ERP solutions to Bahwan IT. In a signing ceremony held in Bahwan IT office, Chairman of IBN Al Naamani Mr. Khalfan Salim Said Al Naamani signed the contract in the presence of its management and key staff. The solution will benefit the 40 plus retail outlets spread across the country in quick turnaround to its customers, streamlining the manufacturing process and intuitive dashboards for better visibility of the business to its management. The solution comprises of Microsoft Dynamic ERP & Infrastructure. IBN Al Naamani is a leading brand in the Sultanate of Oman manufacturing and marketing men’s apparels, especially Omani men’s dishdashas and all types of dresses for GCC men.
JANAKI RAMAN BIDS ADIEU Mr. M.K. Janaki Raman, General Manager of Bahwan IT, who was very much part of the success story of Bahwan IT, bid adieu after 16 plus years of exemplary service. During this span he had introduced several initiatives and innovative ways of working to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Fondly called as Janaki, with his friendly demeanor and kind-hearted approach, he created ‘family’ within the workspace. Outside the office, he was well known as a passionate social worker. Bahwan IT employees gathered to bid him a fond farewell recently.
27 | Suhail 2015
BAHWAN IT’S SEMINAR FOCUSES ON NEW ERA CYBER THREATS Bahwan IT recently conducted a seminar on “Advanced security solutions” in association with Fortinet Inc. which was attended by security professionals from the ministries and private enterprises in Oman. Fortinet’s Technical Systems Engineer Mr.Tony Zabaneh explained how today’s most sophisticated cybercriminals are increasingly bypassing traditional anti-malware solutions and inserting advanced persistent threats deep within networks, resulting in many risks and threats organizations face these days and the growing need to protect valuable, confidential and sensitive data. Fortinet is the leading network security solutions provider covering all layers of network and Bahwan IT is the only “platinum partner” for Fortinet solutions in Oman.
BAHWAN IT ORGANISES SEMINAR ON CLOUD-BASED IT SOLUTIONS Bahwan IT recently conducted a seminar titled “One Cloud, Any Application, Any Device” in association with VMware Inc., a pioneer in the field of virtualization, attended by government organizations, banks and telecom companies as well as corporate enterprises. Mr. Ezzeldin Hussein, Senior Systems Engineer from VMware, gave insight into new VMware products and services that help customers to deliver a consistent environment for building, running and managing any cloud-native or traditional application, through a software-defined platform that spans private and public cloud environments. Bahwan IT is a premier partner of VMware with the highest level of technical competence and has a huge base of satisfied customers in Oman to whom it has been providing comprehensive IT solutions.
28 | Suhail 2015
SBGH IN THE
NEWS
Know your Colleague Saif Bin Mohamed Bin Hamdan Al Jabri Assistant Manager, Bahwan IT LLC
He likes socializing with people and is always ready to help those in distress 1] Please tell us about yourself. I was born in 1977 in the Wilayat of Nakhl. My father was working as a warehouse head in the Ministry of Health and now he is retired. I am married and blessed with three daughters and a son. I completed my schooling from Barakat Secondary School in Barka. 2] Brief us on your educational qualifications? After completing my secondary education in 1998 I joined the Suhail Bahwan Group. But I always wanted to become a graduate and so in 2014, I joined Al Khaleej College and now I am on my way to complete my three-year computer science course. 3] Can you brief us on your career so far? I began as an assistant technician. Over the years, I have been promoted to supervisor, then executive and senior executive. Now I am an assistant manager heading a team. 4] What is your functional role? I am responsible for leading a team of nine people, who are assigned with specific tasks at PDO. Based out of PDO our responsibility is to provide on-the-spot technical support related to maintenance of computers, laptops, servers etc. 5] How has been your work experience so far? I have gained vast experience after joining the company. Prior to joining SBGH, I used to hate technical work, but now I have realized the importance of it in our daily lives. To keep myself abreast with the latest technology like softwares and hardwares I have a small set up of computers and a server at home which needs regular updates and this in turn helps me in my career. Personally, working at SBGH has helped me in improving my personality in terms of dealing with people from different nationalities. I have earned many good friends who are part of my customer base. I also make it a point to be early to
the office where I reach by 6.30am everyday. 6] Which project/assignment has given you immense job satisfaction? What have you learnt on the job? The Royal Grant scheme under Oman Digital programme was the most important project ever I undertook at SBGH that has given me immense satisfaction till date. The project was to provide computers to families and college students as part of social security. I was heading a team of 56 members, most of them new graduates, who were given an opportunity to hone their skills. I ensured that I gave my best to complete the project in a perfect way. 7] Any suggestions for improving the work environment. A career in technical support is a challenging one as new developments keep coming up on a daily basis and we need to be up-to-date. I advice my colleagues to read more and keep updated with creative solutions to technical issues we come across. On the other hand, continuous training programme is the best way to gain more knowledge and to learn the latest developments. I hope the company accords more importance to training and development which in turn pays rich dividends for the employee as well as the company. 8] Your ambition in life‌Future Plans? I hope to complete my computer degree course and be better qualified and move further up in my career. I also hope to play an effective role in the development of SBGH by taking up a higher position in the company. 9]How have your parents influenced your life/career? My father always encouraged me to work hard. My mother’s prayers also have given me more strength to achieve my goals in life. 10] How do you spend your leisure time? What are your interests/ hobbies? I like walking and surfing the Web, I also spend time at my father’s farm in Nakhl and I visit my family during the weekends.
30 | Suhail 2015
THE FUTURE OF COMPUTING
THE HYBRID CLOUD The future of computing is increasingly heading towards Cloud Computing and Virtualization from the current physically-hosted infrastructures due to several advantages it presents; speed and agility, consumption based billing, world class management with best practices for security, redundancy, performance, etc. which are undeniably compelling. Contributed by
However, it has its own drawbacks - licensing restrictions, high reliance
Mr. Ghassan Baz
and trust on Corporate Physical Datacentre, security and compliance
Chief Information Officer, Suhail Bahwan Group
concerns, difficulties to scrap existing physical infrastructure and investing in new cloud architecture.
More
importantly,
risk-averse
IT
professionals are understandably cautious about simply shifting their entire IT portfolio to cloud architecture. They would rather prefer a pragmatic, hybrid approach of incremental implementation. But what do we mean by hybrid?
33 | Suhail 2015
For some applications, it makes sense to remain in an on-site corporate cloud; for other applications, it is advantageous to opt for cloud computing. Then what would be the optimal architecture? This is where the HYBRID cloud comes in. HYBRID cloud is a combination of public cloud storage and private cloud storage where some critical data resides in the enterprise’s private cloud or physical infrastructure while other data is stored and accessed from a public cloud storage provider. In addition, HYBRID cloud storage combines the advantages of scalability, reliability, rapid deployment and potential cost savings of public cloud storage with the security and full control of private cloud storage. Current IT trends indicate that sooner or later most enterprises will have to move from physical architectures. Therefore a hybrid-cloud strategy becomes the sensible foundation for a planned transition to full-cloud infrastructures.
34 | Suhail 2015
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 with dignitaries on various occasions.
35 | Suhail 2015
ذاكرة ال تن�سى...
�شهدت جمموعة �سهيل بهوان ،خالل خم�سون عاما من تاريخها ،العديد من الأحداث واملنا�سبات واللحظات امل�ضيئة التي ال تن�سى مهما مرت عليها ال�سنني ،وكثري من تلك الأحداث مت ت�صويرها واحلفاظ عليها لتكون نربا�سا للأجيال القادمة. ويف هذا العدد من جملتنا نقدم لكم عددا من ال�صور النادرة لرئي�س جمل�س �إدارة املجموعة ال�شيخ �سهيل بهوان �أثناء لقائه بعدد من ال�شخ�صيات العامة يف منا�سبات خمتلفة.
| 35
�سهيل2015