Muscat, The Omani Export Week kicked off today at
Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre under the patronage of Dr.
Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Futaisi, Minister of Transport and
Communications, in the presence of Yahya bin Said al-Jabri, Chairman
of the Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export
Development (Ithraa).
The 5-day event brings together the various parties involved in
exporting activities from the concerned authorities in the Sultanate,
aiming to unify the efforts of Omani entrepreneurs and Omani
companies exporting or expanding the current sale base to various
world markets.
The Week is organized by Ithraa and includes 15 specialized
workshops with participation of a number of stakeholders and experts
in the field of export to transfer knowledge on how to start exporting
and providing guidance on best practices in the various markets of the
world through export clinics.
“This week targets SMEs to familiarize them with the importance of
export and the fundamentals related to this area,” said Nassima bint
Yahya al-Balushi, Director General of Export Development at Ithraa.
She added that during the week’s workshops, Omani entrepreneurs
will meet with the speakers participating in the week from within the
Sultanate and abroad to identify the challenges they face and to know
aspects related to export.
For his part, Talib bin Seif al-Mukhammari, Director General of
Marketing and Media at Ithraa said Today, and as of the last count, we
are proudly exporting to 135 countries. We look forward to expanding
on this not just in number but also in volume,.
Despite the recent international financial crisis, global exports in
2017 were worth more than double than they were in 1997. On the
home front, Oman’s non-oil exports reached $ 8.2bn in 2017 up from $
6.2bn in 2016. A remarkable success, yet according to Al Makhmari,
there is so much more to achieve.
We are living in times of great change, and many developing
economies are among the key drivers of global economic growth �
many, thanks to our strategic location at the intersection of east � west
trade routes and world-class logistics network, are within easy reach of
Oman, explained Ithraa’s Director General.
China, for example, is expected to have 220 cities with a population
of more than a million by 2030. The whole of Europe has just 44. And
it’s predicted that there will be 1.1 billion middle class Africans by 2060.
These shifts in global economic and demographic power will shape
future opportunities for Omani exporters.
From car batteries, fragrances and fibre optic cables to footwear,
marble, ceramics, honey products and more, every day, Omani non-oil
exporters are succeeding in international markets.
For his part, Colonel Khalifa bin Ali al-Saiyabi, Director General of
Customs, said that customs have a major role in the field of exports
and re-exports adding that the Royal Oman Police has launched
Bayan System to facilitate the commercial imports and exports
activities. He furthered that ROP provides facilities to Omani companies
that operate in the export and re-export field as they can take
advantage of Bayan’s features such as pre-clearance of goods before
arrival and other benefits.
After that, a number of week workshops were conducted on exports,
trade data, design of export, export plan, export and international
cultural challenges and differences. The second day’s workshops
discuss the setting of prices in foreign markets, preparation of the
product for export, standards and specifications, trade finance and
export guarantee.
On the third day, workshops will be held on “Product Transport:
Transport and Shipping”, and intellectual property rights related to
trade, trademarks, packaging and labeling. The fourth day will be
dedicated to e-marketing and presence on the International trade
website and social media.
On the fifth day, workshops will include local business women
entrepreneurs and exporters, dealing with Omani export success
stories as well as international trade fairs to raise participation.
The participants will have the opportunity to receive practical advice
and guidance from Ithraa and other relevant institutions as well as
experienced Omani exporters through the export clinics associated with
the event.
Source: Oman News Agency