LAUNCHPAD FOR SUCCESS
Looking forward, MARAFI will focus on building up its sound reputation, expanding commercially, and energizing the communities around the ports.
BIOGRAPHY
Ahmed Mohammed Al Abri started his career as a junior naval architect with Vosper Thorneycroft Shipbuilding yard in Southampton and later spent years with the Omani Navy. He gained first-hand knowledge of shipbuilding and maritime experience from participating in major new projects in the UK, Singapore, the Netherlands, and Romania. He then became the Deputy CEO of Oman Drydock Company in Duqm for approximately three years before becoming the CEO of Oman's new ports operations and management company MARAFI. He sits on the board of Salalah free zone company and is the current chairman of the new Khazaen Dry Port.
What were the major highlights across the ports in your portfolio?
In 2019, MARAFI made huge strides in its strategy of establishing small and medium ports for traders in the country. At Port Suwaiq, we handled around 500,000 tons of cargo, which comes mostly from Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, India, including building materials, metals, marble, and industrial chemicals. We target more imports of fruits and vegetables by having a direct link between the origin countries and Oman. Port Suwiaq will become a main satellite port in the north of Oman in the near future. At Port Sultan Qaboos, the number of cruises and passengers increased by 26%, and we seek to adjust to the growth in demand by building a new dedicated terminal for cruise ships. Moreover, we took over the operations of Port Shinas and Port of Khasab, controlling their proceedings, carrying out necessary initial infrastructure modifications and will also start developing dedicated terminals in 2020. The Port of Khasab has also undergone segmentation of the land that will be ready to offer to the market soon while the new cruise terminal will commence construction by mid-year 2020. At the end of 2019, we signed an agreement for the Khazaen Dry Port with two other local companies, which we hope will be ready to start soft operations by the end of 2020. As such, for 2020, our strategic priorities are to keep building our sound reputation, continue to expand commercially, and energize the communities around the ports, socially and economically. As we are achieving our rapid operational growth and stability, technology is becoming an added main tool for efficiencies improvements in the future.
How should the public and private sector engage with regard to asset integration and value maximization opportunities in the logistics industry in Oman?
Oman has great potential that could be exploited with proper organization and money management. MARAFI acts as a platform that the whole ecosystem could benefit from. This means even though we could build and operate the necessary infrastructure on our own, we engage with Omani companies to be with us, so we can develop it together for the long term. This is true for ports, dry ports, or port expansions, which will all be offered as PPPs to the private sector, allowing them to make meaningful contributions to national projects.
LAUNCHPAD FOR SUCCESS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus: Future foreign policy
Friends to all, enemy to none
In championing the late Sultan Qaboos' non-interference foreign policy, the new ruler of Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, is determined to work for friendship and peace, justice and harmony, and coexistence and positive constructive dialogue.
read articleInterview
David Kalife, CEO, Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO)
Despite Oman's fuel market slowing down, OOMCO increased its sales volume of lubricants by 36% in 2019 and is constructing a greenfield bunker terminal at the Port of Duqm. The company has transformed while growing its expertise in Marketing and Digital.
read articleInterview
Azzan Al Busaidi, CEO, Ithraa
Azzan Al Busaidi is an expert in competitiveness and economic growth. He was appointed CEO of Ithraa in 2019 after 17 years spent covering managerial roles in the organization. Al Busaidi was previously Ithraa's director general of planning and studies and is a strong advocate of the potential of digitization. He holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde and a BSc in Economics from Sultan Qaboos University.
read articleInterview
Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry & Investment Promotion & Former Chairman, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Private Omani companies will be able to benefit greatly from the Fourth Industrial Revolution by enhancing their local value-added strategies and upskilling the workforce.
read articleInterview
Tahir Bin Salim Bin Abdullah Al Amri, Executive President, Central Bank of Oman (CBO)
The Central Bank of Oman's job is to ensure there is adequate liquidity in the system and that banks remain robust and resilient to meet the credit requirements of all segments without undermining financial stability.
read articleB2B
Capital markets
CMA and MSM are supporting Vision 2040 by providing financing to government companies that intend to go public, financing expansion of existing and new IPOs, and widening the investors base in Oman by enhancing and developing the investment funds and insurance industries.
read articleInterview
Khalid Al Balushi, CEO, Khazaen Economic City
International investors and business owners can benefit from Khazaen Economic City's strategic location and its close proximity to the main gateways of the country to import, process, manufacture, distribute locally, and export their goods and services.
read articleFocus: Port 4.0
Destined for greatness
Investments in world-class infrastructure have generated huge rewards for Oman. The goal now is to leverage technology as a disruptive enabler, build human capacity across the public and private logistics sectors, and drive operational efficiencies to build an integrated logistics business environment that is benchmarked against the world's best.
read articleFocus: Gap in tourism services
All bases covered
An amalgamation of local companies and unique experiences in Oman has created an original flavor that is further differentiating Oman's tourism offering from other countries and in the process attracting scores of tourists from all across the world.
read articleB2B
Engineering design
Renardet Engineering Consultants and Design Unit Engineering are recognized experts in their fields. While the former is an international company strongly committed to excellent engineering consultancy services and environmental practices, the latter is an Oman-based team of architects and engineers that incorporates local culture and traditions.
read articleB2B
Construction materials
Oman's construction sector is facing a host of challenges, but Hempel Paints and Al Maha Ceramics are confident that a mix of forward-thinking business models, unique products, and strong government initiatives will help them through turbulent times and generate positive returns in the long run.
read articleInterview
Salim Razvi, CEO, Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA)
Focusing on higher education institutional accreditation, program accreditation, and the updating and maintaining of the Oman Qualifications Framework, OAAA is helping further advance higher education in the Sultanate.
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