Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) recently joined forces with a regional organization called Riyada to assist independent business owners with refining important skills needed to grow their enterprises such as sales, marketing strategies and customer relations.
Five dozen participants attended a three-day workshop offered at Riyada’s Ghala-based headquarters, taught by educators from the National Training Institute, to learn best practices and share experiences with one another.
“Like Riyada, PDO believes that a thriving small business sector is essential to delivering more jobs and prosperity for Oman,” Abdul-Amir Abdul-Hussein Al Ajmi, who serves as PDO’s director of external affairs and value creation, said.
Al Ajmi said the event’s purpose was to “become better at marketing their products and services and engage more effectively with their customers,” eventually enabling Omani businesses to compete domestically and internationally.
“It is important that the Sultanate’s economy diversifies, and vibrant and dynamic SMEs can play a major role in driving that change,” he said.
Riyada — also known as the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development — strives to establish a culture of entrepreneurship in the Sultanate of Oman, particularly as global resources undergo a sea change and the world becomes less dependent on oil economies. SMEs are typically firms employing up to 100 staffers.
Khalid AlSafi Al Haraibi, Riyada’s deputy CEO, thanked PDO for its exceptional support in realizing the workshop.
“Our ultimate objective is to provide solid support to SMEs in order to nurture the entrepreneurial culture in the Sultanate and enhance their contribution to the socio-economic development of the country,” said Al Haraibi.
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