Oman Oil supports establishment of new entrepreneurial platform, OM.HUB

Oman Oil Company (OOC) has joined hands with the National Business Centre (NBC), Oman India Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO) and Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) in establishing a new hub designed to nurture and develop Omani entrepreneurial talent in the Sultanate.

The new platform, dubbed ‘OM.HUB’, was formally inaugurated at a ceremony held at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) – the Sultanate’s premier IT park – in February. The event was held under the patronage of HE Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry.

At the ceremony, Oman Oil Company signed a cooperation agreement with its partners covering the operation and management of the new entrepreneurship platform, which will be established on a 456-sq metre area adjoining the premises of the National Business Centre.

At the heart of OM.HUB is an incubational centre suitably designed, equipped and staffed to mentor budding entrepreneurial initiatives and SMEs through their development into promising and viable businesses. In all, 28 entrepreneurial and SME start-ups can be accommodated at any time at the centre, which also features a common area for get-togethers and events. Additionally, the centre will host a number of companies that will provide support services to the embryonic start-ups.

In a statement, Mr. Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, CEO of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), which administers the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), said: “OM.HUB is designed to provide the entrepreneurs with a nurturing environment that is conducive to the growth of entrepreneurship and business start-ups in the Sultanate.”

Also boding well for the success of OM.HUB within KOM is its proximity to the incubator of the National Business Centre, the SAS incubator of the Information Technology Authority (ITA), the accelerator programme of Oman Investment Fund (OIF), and three higher learning institutions, including Sultan Qaboos University. “Indeed, the platform’s strategic location will enhance collaboration and partnership between these institutions in advancing entrepreneurship in the Sultanate,” HE Al Hasani stated.

Eng. Isam bin Saud Al Zadjali, CEO of Oman Oil Company, said the Group’s participation in the OM.HUB project was in keeping with its longstanding espousal of entrepreneurship as a powerful vehicle with the potential to fuel employment generation and socioeconomic development.

“OOC strives to encourage young entrepreneurs to play an effective role in creating a diversified economy, based on knowledge and innovation,” Al Zadjali said, adding: “Recognised as the first of its kind in the Sultanate, OM.HUB is well suited to the needs of entrepreneurs, as it is designed to incubate nascent ideas into emerging businesses.”

Commenting on the launch of ‘OMHUB’ platform, Mr. Talal Al Mamari, CEO of Omantel, said, “We are proud to work together with our partners to establish the OM.HUB platform, from which we hope will emerge innovative products and services that will drive new business opportunities and job growth.”

As one of its first initiatives, OM.HUB will serve as a platform for the implementation of a unique business development programme backed by Omani Fertiliser Company (OMIFCO). OM.HUB is also hosting the Injaz programme and Oman Technology Fund’s accelerator programme, which are both aimed at sparking the growth of ICT-related start-ups.