Nine Omani start-ups finish incubation
National Business Centre (NBC), which falls under the umbrella of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), is all set to celebrate next Thursday the graduation of nine small and medium enterprises (SMEs) at the end of their incubation at NBC and Riyada.
The graduation ceremony will be held under the auspices of Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and in the presence of a number of officials from the public and private sectors.
Malak al Shaibani (pictured), Director-General of NBC, emphasised that the graduation ceremony portrays the results of the significant efforts made by the incubated companies over the past years. “The companies have been able to achieve success through determination and ambition that allowed them to compete at the local level and continue planning to cross the borders of the Sultanate,” Al Shaibani pointed out.
Highlighting the key performance indicators and activities undertaken by NBC and Riyada in 2016, Al Shaibani stated, “The number of incubated companies at NBC and Riyada stood at 34 companies, which generated financial returns crossing RO 1.2 million. The number of Omani cadres touched 81 including the business owners and founders.”
Last year, NBC graduated four companies specialised in jewellery design, management consultancy, laboratory equipment, and digital advertising. Next Thursday, nine companies will be graduated in various specialisations including interior design, film industry, accounting consultancy, and investment services.
Al Shaibani called upon various companies to apply for incubation at the centre so as to enjoy the services and advantages offered for entrepreneurs. “NBC provides business development support and guidance, training and mentoring, access to markets and industry experts, and state-of-the-art and fully equipped office space, meeting rooms and presentation facilities,” she said.
During 2016, NBC organised a number of value adding initiatives that open new prospects for the entrepreneurs.
“Among these initiatives is ‘Reyooq with CEO’, which comprises visits to high profile Omani companies and factories in cooperation with Riyada to meet with the CEOs and decisionmakers of these companies.
In this initiative, the incubated companies get acquainted with the various available opportunities for the entrepreneurs. In 2016, visits were organised to Orpic, Omran, Duqm, Ministry of Tourism, Khazzan project, and Sohar Aluminium,” Al Shaibani noted.
She added that NBC also organised Mashura initiative, which consists of a series of workshops that provide specialised consultancy in business for the incubated companies. Topics that are being highlighted in these workshops include entrepreneurship and law, tenders and contracts, company values, among others.