Three New Marketing Products Released by Omantel

Omantel Logo

Three unique and innovative products were revealed during a two day program hosted by one of Oman’s leading digital marketing experts, Infocomm. The interactive workshops were held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Muscat, which gave the hand-picked group of participants a chance to get some first-hand experience with Omantel’s latest breakthrough products.

Give Your Message Impact

iMass MMS is the most recent and updated addition to an already large selection of marketing products and services available from Omantel. With iMass MMS Omantel’s customers can send their marketing messages in audio or picture format making the impact that can make a difference. Omantel is the first provider in the Gulf region offering this state-of-the-art service.

"Today's consumers are increasingly sophisticated; their expectations are high. To make an impression marketers need to give their message impact,"

said Rehan Moosa, Infocomm Digital Media Product Manager and presenter at the workshops.

Location, Location, Location

A second product launched by Omantel at the workshop is a new Location Based Service which forms a part of the iMass Filter SMS service and iMass Volume SMS.

Omantel’s manager of communication solutions and corporate development, Adel Alawadhi said about this product that,

"This extremely focused marketing tool has a level of sophistication beyond anything else that's available. Companies can reach out to existing and potential clients according to their current location. At a time when marketers are constantly sharpening their message and fine-tuning their target market, this product is a great step forward."

Easy Access

The third product introduced is the new ismartsms.net portal. This web site gives new and existing users of Omantel’s marketing services a convenient way to learn more about Omantel’s large number of products and services. All customers have to do is log in to make purchases or send requests to the company.

"The business environment today is very demanding and there is a lot of time pressure. The iSmart SMS portal has been developed to make life easier for Omantel customers," commented R Ramesh, Infocomm Operations Manager. "It's about streamlining services and allowing clients to make the most of their time — leaving them free to concentrate on their core tasks. It also recognises the importance of listening to customers with a dedicated section for feedback."

Audi Opens Used Luxury Car Business in Oman

Audi Oman

National sales and marketing manager for Audi Oman, Abdel Karim Awwad announced the opening of the German luxury car outlet in Oman last week.

Hoping to reap a share of the pre-owned luxury car market, the car maker launched the Audi Approved Business Unit.

“This facility would enable customers in the Sultanate to purchase fully approved and checked pre-owned Audi cars,” Awwad stated.

Last year proved a favorable one for Audi, selling 1,632 used cars in the Middle East, representing a 39% from the year before. The new business opening in Wattayah, Muscat will meet the growing demand in the Sultanate for excellent used luxury cars.

“The pre-owned car industry is a growing business in Oman as customers are on the look-out for a good deal, but do not want to compromise on quality. We are very proud to have launched our exciting new Approved plus business unit and we are unique in the scope and thorough nature of our 110 multi-point checks that come as standard for every vehicle,” Awwad said.

Audi is looking forward to a good year for Audi sales. Awwad explained, “We have many exciting plans and activities planned for this year. This includes plan for corporate and government accounts in terms of sale, several activities incorporating good offers during the upcoming Muscat Festival that will connect us more closely with our valued customers.”

Global Office Furniture to Open Flagship Store in Oman

Global Office Furniture Solutions is opening their first store in Oman on January 9th in Wattayah. The business world in Oman, who will benefit from the high-quality furniture and full service available from Global Office can thank Al Jassar, the firm which promoted the opening of the store.

Al Jassar Promotion

V.T. Saileshwaran is the managing director of Al Jassar, which has promoted the services from a large range of industries to Oman, including construction, oil, petrochemical and gas, hospital management and more, explained that the showroom of Global Office will focus on the appearance of elegance combined with comfort and convenience.

High Quality Furniture

George Ambrail is the director of sales for the Middle East division of The Global Group. According to him, “The showroom features not just display eye-catching designs but also office furniture that is medically proven.”

Floor Planning

According to Ambrail, the company can also help businesses organize their space in a way which optimizes production and comfort.

“We also give them different views and once they give us the headcount we plan the floor plate based on that brief and take into account how much privacy level each person needs in his cubicle nor his demarcated area and then we provide the floor plans with different perspective views so that they can visualize it before they buy it.”

Ambrail adds that the Canada-based Globus brand is a high-quality brand hard to surpass.

“Oman is a potential market for premium furniture brands. A huge awareness for quality products in Oman has been building up which was lagging a few years ago. Here Globus would fit in perfectly.”

Mercedes-Benz Business Booms by 42% in 2011

Zawawi Trading Company

The division of commercial vehicle sales of the authorized distributor of Mercedes-Benz in Oman, the Zawawi Trading Company (ZTC) saw an increase in sales in 2011 over the previous year by 42%, unprecedented growth in the Sultanate.

This past year marked the 125th year since the invention of the automobile; a year which also coincided with the ZTC’s focused efforts to improve sales in Oman, especially within the commercial vehicles division.

There were several innovative programs established to attract customers, including the Mercedes-Benz “Field Force” which established a mobile workshop team to deliver fast and professional service, and a more personalized relationship between the customer and the seller. Also implemented were on-site vehicle checks, inspections, and driver training programs. The driver training was directed at improving the ability of the owners to maintain their cars while also teaching more defensive and economic driving skills.

The CEO of the Zawawi Trading Company automotive division, Craig Hardie, declared that,

“2011 was a year of great change in the commercial vehicle division of ZTC, as we continue to improve and expand our services and customer experience. This is a trend that we strongly intend to continue well into 2012, with numerous new and exciting projects planned for introduction this year.”

Inflation Falls to Seven-Month Low in Oman

The Economy Ministry of Oman announced that the inflation for the month of September reached a seven-month low of 3.7% annualized rate. Prices fell 0.3% for the month, due mainly to the slump in the price of gold.

There is an expectation that the Sultanate’s economy will expand by about 4% overall this year, and even higher in 2012, with a hope that it will grow by 4.2%.

Much of the expected expansion is due to the government’s increased investment in the nation’s infrastructure, helping to boost the economy while at the same time laying the groundwork for even more expansion and development.

Major Road Project Awarded to L&T Oman

Orders valued at RO $68.4 million, to build two roads, the Wadi Kabir-Darsait Road and the Mahlah-Ghubbrat Al Tam-Ismaiyah Road were secured by the billion dollar global group Larsen and Toubro Oman.

Larsen and Toubro Oman is a subsidiary of the Indian-based engineering, technology and construction company L&T which is estimated to be worth $11.7 billion; is one of India’s largest and well-respected firms operating in India’s private sector, and has developed operations throughout the world during its more than seventy years since its founding.

The orders for the construction were received from the Muscat Municipality and from the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Information regarding the length of time the road construction will take or when the building will begin is not yet available.

Pilgrims to Mecca Offered Deal From Oman Mobile

Customers of Oman Mobile, the mobile phone subsidiary of Omantel, can now more easily stay connected with their loved ones back home while they participate in the Haj.

Haitham Abdullah al Kharusi

The deal was announced by Haitham Abdullah al Kharusi, the vice president of the consumer business unit of Omantel. Beginning on October 26th, and continuing until November 30th this year, Oman Mobile customers will only have to pay a flat rate of 99 baisa per minute when they use their mobile phones in Saudi Arabia while receiving roaming service with Mobily or STC for all calls made between Oman and Saudi Arabia, both incoming and outgoing included.

Al Kharusi explained his company’s new offer:

“Haj is a special time for all Muslims and we at Oman Mobile recognize the importance of keeping our customers in touch with their families wherever they are.

“The new offer will enable our customers to stay in touch with their families and friends back home at low rates introduced for the first time.

“No matter if the customer is subscribed to Mada postpaid or Hayyak prepaid, calling or answering calls, daytime or at night, Oman Mobile customers will enjoy this never- before-offer of a flat rate of 99Bzs per minute.”

Omantel is one of Oman’s leading telecommunications companies, offering Omani citizens a modern network of communications services allowing them to stay connected within the Sultanate and the rest of the world.

Orascom Exploring Construction of Low Cost Housing in Oman

Orascom Development Holdings (ODH) is investigating the possibility of entering into Oman’s affordable housing construction sector. The announcement of this intention was made by Samih Sawiris, the chairman and CEO of the Egyptian investment firm at The Owners Forum Middle East 2011 held in Muscat from October 22nd to 24th, 2011.

OHC Positioned to Enter Market

Mr. Sawiris explained that the growing need for affordable housing in Oman will attract investors into this sector, and Orascom’s subsidiary, Orascom Housing Communities (OHC), is uniquely positioned to enter into this market.

OHC was founded in 2006, and already finished the construction of a township by 2007. Haram City was built about 20km west of Cairo and today is home to about 5,000 families on 8.4 million square meters of land.

Haram City Near Cairo

Affordable Housing Market

When asked about Orascom’s interest in building luxury or high-end building projects, Sawiris said that in the Sultanate of Oman Orascom is not interested in this sector, especially since they are already involved in tourism construction in Jebel Sifah and Salalah Beach in a joint venture with Muriya.

Sawiris added that,

“The only thing I would be interested in Oman in terms of residential projects is affordable or budget housing. That is our second area of expertise, where we complete towns in this category.”

MB Holding Company Venturing Into Tourism Industry

One of Oman’s largest companies, MB Holding Group of Companies, is planning on entering into the tourism sector by investing in the development of prime, upscale, resort real estate throughout the Sultanate.

The Chairman of MB Holding, Dr. Mohammed al Barwani says that the goal is to invest approximately RO 100 million in projects involving hotels and other tourism related ventures during the coming four years. The company has already purchased 53% of the public company Interior Hotels. Al Barwani explained that this company will be the “public vehicle” into which the other properties which MB will acquire will be merged.

Dr. Barwani was attending an investment forum this week where he told journalists that,

“We are developing along with the government a hotel in Salalah. We are also developing a hotel on our own in Duqm. At Bandar Jissah, we are (developing a property) along with the Towell Group, while in Sifah we are planning a hotel with another group in Oman. Our intention is to invest in the hotel area and later put it into a public vehicle.”

GlassPoint Places New Vice President Head of Special Projects

A major producer of solar steam generators used in EOR (enhanced oil recovery) announced this week the placing of Glenn Griffith as the new vice-president of Oman Projects.

GlassPoint Solar appointed Griffith to lead their department of project execution in one of the major Gulf State nations, Oman. Griffith comes with over thirty years of experience in the upstream oil industry. He will be handling the GlassPoint solar EOR project with PDO, which will be a joint venture including the oil company giants Shell, Total and Oman.

“Solar EOR is a compelling solution for the global oil industry, and GlassPoint has demonstrated a clear cost advantage over other solutions. No other solar technology has addressed oilfield specific needs. The glasshouse design protects the system from harsh Middle Eastern desert conditions and produces direct steam with unmatched energy density,” stated Griffith.