Under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Hamad bin Said Al Aufi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Oman Oil Marketing Company in partnership with Al Raffd Fund organized a special ceremony to recognize the 10 SME winners of Tasweik 2016. The event was attended by Oman Oil Marketing Company Management as well as representatives from Al Raffd Fund in addition to young Omani entrepreneurs.

Co-selected by a panel of experts from Oman Oil Marketing and Al Raffd Fund, each winning SME received OMR 8,000 as part of the initiative to support and further expand their reach and solidify their market positioning through branding and advertising.

Tariq Sulaiman Al Farsi, CEO at Al Raffd Fund commented, “Tasweik 2016 allowed us to connect with entrepreneurs across Oman, better understand their needs and identify ways to help them grow. We have gained great knowledge and insight from the 2016 batch which we have applied to the 2017 Tasweik initiative in order to deliver a better experience to all our applicants”.

He added “I would like to thank our partners, Oman Oil Marketing Company for their continuous efforts and their vital role in helping bring even greater value to Oman’s entrepreneurial community.”

CEO of Oman Oil Marketing Company said, “We are delighted with the success of the 2016 Tasweik initiative and are proud to see its impact on all the registered SMEs and winners. This initiative was inspired and enabled business to utilize marketing strategies and improve their abilities. A milestone of our CSR annual calendar, Tasweik is part of our long-standing commitment to nurture the Sultanate’s economic growth and prepare SMEs to compete on a global level.”

The CEO went on congratulating all winners of Tasweik 2016 and wish applicants of Tasweik 2017 all the best. “I would like to thank our partners at Al Raffd Fund for their support in making Taweik a success story.”

The 2016 winning SMEs represent a variety of industries across the country including Sharifa Salim Ba Harish, owner of a wedding supplies business, Zaher Said Al Shukaily, owner and operator of an events hall, Harith Saif Al Kharusi, owner of a marble and natural stone manufacturing business, Ameer Abdullah Al Jahoori, owner of a marble cutting workshop, Abdullah Ali Al Balushi, operator of a fire protection company, Khalifa Al Ismaili, owner of an eye clinic, Omaima Abdulaziz Al Balushi, owner of a flower shop, Shuena Abdulaziz Al Araimi, owner of a nursery, Wafa Hameed Al Kalbani, owner of a stationary and office appliances shop and Nader Mohammed Al Eseri, owner of a restaurant in Muscat.

The CEO concluded, “We look forward to the 2017 Tasweik batch. We encourage all SMEs wishing to register to review the specifications and requirements needed to win and receive the financial and the administrative support”.

Spurred by the success in 2016, Oman Oil Marketing Company and Al Raffd Fund recently signed a MoU to bring back Tasweik for the second year in a row. Once again, ten selected SMEs will have a chance to each win OMR 8,000 for marketing and advertising purposes. The initiative is available to SMEs which have received any amount less than 100,000 OMR from Al Raffd Fund. Participants must be rated ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ by Al Raffd Fund’s ranking system and be able to prove the profitability of their business in the last three months through financial records. A joint committee comprising members from Oman Oil Marketing Company and Al Raffd Fund evaluates all applicants. Prospective participants can register by visiting https://alraffd.gov.om and www.oomco.com.