Year - 2016

28/12/2016

Sharakah held last night a gathering for all the businesses that received financial support under the name Ruwad Sharakah Gathering. The event was held under the patronage of Hani M. Al Zubair, Chairman of Fund for Development of Youth Projects and the presence of Khalid Al Haraibi Deputy CEO of Riyada, Board Members of Sharakah, Sharakah staff and the supported SMEs.

The whole purpose of the event was to provide a platform for the supported businesses to network with each other and meet with board members and staff. In the past 6 years, Sharakah has provided financial support to about 60 projects. 20 of which have already paid back the finance amount, 38 are still maintaining a steady payment plan. The event was attended by 35 business owners and they have all appreciated this initiative from Sharakah.

Mr. Hani Al Zubair, Chairman welcomed everyone and expressed his pride of what these businesses have achieved over the past few years. He added “This is an opportunity for us to get to know your businesses further and to understand what type of products or services you are offering.”

Issra, Owner and Founder of Mint Marketing also commented :”We find Ruwad Sharakah Gathering truly valuable as it aims to introducing SMEs to each other, explore more about the business practices and strategies and also to seek to collaborate on future business opportunities. I believe this kind of events should occur more frequently as it strengthens the ties between all SMEs and with Sharakah as well."

"We find a noticeable variation in the nature of the small and medium enterprises supported by Sharakah. Some of the SMEs are operating in the industrial sector, others operating in the service sector and some of them are into the food and beverage sector as well. This diversified nature of SMEs will allow all parties to exchange valuable knowledge in addition to find business opportunities in cooperating on commercial projects." Said Abdullah Al Jufaili, General Manager, Sharakah.
06/12/2016

Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Rashad Al-Hinai, Undersecretary for the Ministry of Sports Affairs, RX Fitness and Cross Fit Center was officially inaugurated last night. The inauguration ceremony was attended by officials from Sharakah and sports enthusiast. RX Fitness which is located in Al Ghubra offers cross fit training, martial art course and weight lifting facilities.

Speaking at the ceremony His Excellency Sheikh Rashad Al-Hinai said “I am delighted to see that there is strong interest in the community about the physical wellbeing and body fitness. I am further glad to see a group of young Omanis turning their passion in fitness and martial arts to a business. It is great to see that the business owners themselves are actually certified trainers and very much involved in the business. A project as such meets a number of objectives in the community including creating healthier community members, encouraging youngsters to do something more productive with their spare time and surely diversifying the economy via SME support.”

Rashid Al-Barwani, Founder and a Certified Martial Artist and Fitness Trainer commented “I started this business back in 2011 and we went through numerous challenges to reach to where we are today. We have managed over the past years to grow the business from a single location to 2 locations and we have already changed the life of hundreds by helping them become healthier and more fit. I believe that a healthier community is more productive and through this project we will contribute to the social economic development of Oman. Above all though, this is something that I love to do and I am happy to be able to help many health and fitness enthusiast train, enjoy and become healthier.”

Mohamed Al Sharji, Business Partner and Certified CrossFit Trainer also commented “RX business concept is to create a fitness facility that everyone feels that it is their own and we have managed to do so. We have instilled the sense of ownership to all our clients. If you attend any of our training sessions, you would experience the positive energy shared by all trainees. As a matter of fact, this facility was setup by the help of many of our trainees who volunteered out of their busy schedule to take a role in organizing the place.”

Said Al-Marhoobi, Business Partner also commented and CrossFit Athlete “Over the past few years, we have helped a number of locals to gear up for a challenge that they wanted to undertake. Amongst many that we have helped are Rumaitha Al Busaidy, who was the first Omani to climb mount Kilimanjaro, Ahmed Al-Harthy, Anisa Al Raisi and many more. We have specialized training programs to fit the requirement of our clients and we invite everyone to come and try a session with us. We assure them that they will find it enjoyable.”

RX Fitness team consist of a diversified athletic experts who are certified trainers in CrossFit, Pilates, Zumba, Yoga, Bootcamp, TRX, Aikido, Taekwondo, Karate, Muay Thai and BJJ. RX is planning to be the first to introduce an exclusive Muscat Martial Art Academy (MMA). This Academy will cater to different martial art disciplines under one roof designed to prepare Martial arts competitive athletes to represent Oman internationally.

RX received financial support from Sharakah to expand the business and increase its market reach. Prior to that RX won several awards including Omantel SME Awards and Entrepreneur Conclave. Speaking at the ceremony Abdullah Al-Jufaili, General Manager, Sharakah said “We firstly thank His Excellency Sheikh Rashad Al-Hinai for accepting our invitation to be the Guest of Honor. Indeed, the Ministry of Sports Affairs is very much supportive of athletes and SMEs. RX is set to expand and we believe of the business model and the dedication of the business owners. Congratulations to the founder for reaching this far and we expect the business to grow even further.”

30/11/2016

Sharakah and Riyada held a press conference yesterday at Oman Convention & Exhibition Center during Ebdaat Omaniya exhibition to announce the launch of the second edition of Sharakah Forum, which is an annual event organized and managed by Sharakah. Sharakah Forum discusses specific topics related to SME development.

This year Sharakah Forum will focus on Technology & Entrepreneurship. The discussions will be around the importance of building a proper IT infrastructure for the business, the importance of protecting the data, how to get productive with business applications, the utilization of gadgets and mobile apps to serve the business, emerging technologies and opportunities for SMEs, and the use of digital media to promote the business.

Riyada signed an agreement with Sharakah to renew its alliance as a Strategic Partner for Sharakah Forum. The agreement was signed by Khalid Al Haraibi, Deputy CEO for Operations Riyada and Abdullah Al Jufali, GM Sharakah. At the signing Al Haraibi commented “It is a pleasure to cooperate with Sharakah in the second edition of the forum. The success of the first edition has positively impacted the SME community and we are excited about the event in its second year. As a Strategic Partner, we will work closely with Sharakah team to ensure that the event is well executed.”

Abdullah Al Jufaili, GM, Sharakah also said “We are grateful to Riyada for supporting our event once again and we are confident that this cooperation will lead to executing a successful event. We are inviting technology experts from various fields to share their knowledge and experience in Sharakah Forum. Our aim is to educate SMEs on the best practices related to the usage of technological solutions.”

He added “The 2-day forum will be held on 16 and 17 of January, 2017 at Muscat Grand Millennium Hotel. The event will host local, regional and international speakers who will share their knowledge and experience.”

Further, Mohamed Al Lawati, Marketing Specialist at Sharakah said: "The first edition of Sharakah Forum was a success. Participants’ comments and feedback were very positive. We encourage everyone to register as there are limited seats. Those who are interested can register via the event site at http://forum.sharakah.om. "
03/11/2016

Registration is still open for Khazzan Project for SME Development. An official at Sharakah confirmed that more than 190 applications have been received until date and they welcome more people to register. The project is one of BP Oman Social Investment Programs and is managed and implemented by Sharakah. The objective is to select 20 SMEs from all over the Sultanate, assess their performance and guide them towards applying best practices to sustain and grow.

Mundhir Al Manji, Founder and Manager, Bella Luna Production said “We encourage all business owners specially those who are keen to grow their business, to participate in this project. The 1-to-1 sessions has helped us to assess our business and identify areas that need further improvement.”

According to Fatma Al Kindi, Project Specialist at Sharakah “Registration is still open and we are welcoming SMEs from all governorates. We have a very simple registration process via the website http://bp.sharakah.om. Those who are interested to know more can also call us to ask any questions.”

20/09/2016

BP Oman and Sharakah signed an agreement this morning which will launch the third consecutive year of the Khazzan Project for SME Development. According to the agreement, BP will fund the 12 months program while Sharakah, the implementing partner, will be responsible for developing 20 SMEs by analyzing their performance and identifying areas for their improvement. Sharakah will also be responsible for monitoring the performance of these SMEs during the period of 12 months. At the end of the period, the SMEs will receive a nonrefundable grant from BP to help them grow their businesses.

The agreement was signed by Mr. Yousuf Al Ojaili, President of BP Oman and Abdullah Al Jufaili, Sharakah’s General Manager in the presence of Vice Chairman Said Al Sahib and Shabib Al Maamari, BP Oman’s Communications and External Affairs Manager.

Existing SMEs from all governorates are invited to register in the program online at http://bp.Sharakah.om. After registration, Sharakah will be screening the applications and will shortlist twenty eligible projects to undergo the development program that will focus on the following functions: Administration, Human Resources, Branding, Marketing, Finance, Quality and Applying Best Practices.

Commenting on the agreement, Yousuf Al Ojaili, BP Oman President said “We at BP Oman believe in the importance of supporting Omani SMEs. The fruitful results of our previous two years of collaboration with Sharakah in developing Omani SME, encourages us to continue this program for a third year. We look forward to working with Omani SMEs and helping to grow this important sector of the Omani economy.”

Sharakah’s General Manager, Abdullah Al Jufaili was pleased to sign the agreement and he said “We are delighted to renew the agreement with BP for the third consecutive year and we are honored to gain BP’s confidence in implementing the project. We would like to increase the competitive advantage of these SMEs by improving their performance and increasing their productivity.”

31/08/2016

Sharakah started the disbursement process of the grant provided by BP Oman to the selected 19 Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs that participated in the Khazzan project for SME Development. 26 SMEs participated in the program this year representing the Governorates of Ad Dhahirah and Ad Dakhiliyah and Muscat. All of which have competed a two-months intensive program on business strategic planning.

Khazzan project for SME Development is one of BP Oman social investment programs that aims at supporting the development of SMEs in Oman. The program approach is to assess existing SMEs to identify their strength and weaknesses. Further a business plan is developed for each business and agrant worth OMR 5,000 from BP Oman is provided to help improve business performance.

Over the past 2 weeks, experts from Sharakah (The program supervisor) and Inspired Solutions (Implementer) visited these SMEs to get a better understanding of the products and services that they offer and to get a better understanding of areas that needs improvement in their business operations.

The SMEs who participated in the program represented different sectors including Renewal Energy field, Oilfield Services, Telecommunications, Nursery, Plantation, Dates Processing, Ladies Gym, Tour Operator, Photography & Videography, Motor Garage, tailoring and Selling of Aluminum Doors.

The program focused on the following areas, business planning, cash flow management, market research, marketing and branding. By the end of the program, each SME developed a strategic plan for the years to come.

Commenting on this Shabib Al Mamari, Communication & External Affairs Manager of BP Oman said “We are pleased to see that the program has achieved its objectives and we are delighted that it has helped upgrading the quality of the SMEs who have participated. At BP, we believe in the importance of developing the local capacity and we value the role played by SMEs in economic and social growth.”

Abdullah Al Jufaili, Sharakah’s General Manager also commented “Sharakah values the trust given by BP Oman to supervise the implementation of this program and we are glad that we have succeeded to deliver the intending objectives. The SMEs that enrolled in this program exhibited true entrepreneurial spirits. It was evident that they are very dedicated in growing their business and applying best practices.”

William R. Crew the Founder of Inspired Solutions praised that, “The competition for the grants was very intense, with 24 Omani SMEs competing for 19 non repayable growth grants of up to OMR 5,000 each. The winning grantees were those who demonstrated the most initiative in completing their applications in a timely manner, had a clearly articulated vision for how they would use the BP-financed grants to grow their businesses, and had the most realistic approach to their projected performances. I would like to personally commend all of the applicants who graduated the training and coaching and competed; all of them are excellent examples of the entrepreneurial spirit we are fostering here in Oman. ”

21/08/2016

Sharakah welcomed yesterday a delegation from Qatar Development Bank (QDB) as part of their visit program in Oman to meet with SME development organizations. The Qatari delegation was headed by AbdulAziz Nasser Al Khalifa, CEO of QDB and accompanied by senior officials of the bank. The objective of the visit is to explore opportunities for collaboration in the area of SME development.

The delegation was received by Abdullah Al Jufaili, General Manager of Sharakah and other senior officials. Mohamed Al Lawati, Sharakah’s Marketing Specialist delivered a presentation where he highlighted what Sharakah offers to SMEs, its achievements in the past 5 years and some examples of the SMEs supported. The discussion then focused on areas of mutual interest.

Commenting on this, Mohamed Al Lawati said "We are delighted to welcome Qatar Development Bank delegation to Oman and Sharakah. We believe that such visits provide an opportunity to exchange knowledge, share best practices and open opportunities for collaboration.”

Likewise, Mohammed Al-Mansouri, Head Of SME`s Networking & Matchmaking at Qatar Development Bank said "We are pleased to have met with our counterparts in Oman and delighted to learn more about Sharakah. Our objectives for this visit are to Share experiences in SMEs development, discuss and exchange best practices, discuss how to facilitate SME access to the local market and explore best practices in supporting the local community (In Country Value)

14/07/2016

Sharakah announced this week that it has as of June provided financial support to 9 projects at a value of OMR 438,000 against projected 10- to 12 projects at a value of OMR 780,000 this year. Despite the market slow down there has significant activities from the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector.

On a statement shared by the General Manager, Abdullah Al Jufaili, he said “We anticipated earlier this year that SMEs would still continue to grow despite the market condition. Start-ups in general have a better advantage when entering a market that is being affected by an economic downturn. They are very much aware of challenges in the market and can align their strategies to overcome them.”

On a questions raised if Sharakah will stop taking new applications, Al Jufaili responded “No we will continue to accept applications. However, we would be more prudent to align with our diversification of sectors strategies. To date, the majority of businesses that we have supported are in the services sectors. In fact more than 70% are from the food and beverages sectors. That has been as a response in changes in consumers lifestyle, increase of the number of tourists and interest from the business owners themselves to own a food joint. Going forward we will still support unique projects in those fields, but we would like to concentrate more on industrial and innovative projects.”

Mohamed Al Lawati, Marketing Specialist said “The number of inquiries and people walking-in has noticeably increased this year. We were used to getting 45 inquiries per month and now it has crossed ## per month. We have also been very busy responding to inquiries from our social media channels. It seems overall that our marketing strategy is paying off and we are getting more applications.”

Recently this year, Sharakah received an award for the Best Inspiring Organization from the World Confederation of Business in a ceremony held in Monte Carlo. Indeed, the objective is not just to provide financial support rather to take these SMEs to the next level.

Zuwaina Al Badai, Investment Manager at Sharakah added “We maintain track of how many applications we receive and from which sectors. We are noticing an improvement in the quality of the business plans. There are general consensus to start a business in the food and beverage sector; However we would like to draw the attention of potential SMEs that there are so many opportunities in the manufacturing sector.”
24/05/2016

Date: 24th of May 2016

Sharakah is awarded with THE BIZZ 2016 for its distinguished business excellence

Sharakah was recently awarded by the World Confederation of Businesses (WORLDCOB) with one of the world’s most important business awards: “BIZZ 2016”. This recognition was granted in May 15th in a gala ceremony held at Le Méridien Beach Plaza, Montecarlo, Monaco.

In previous editions, The BIZZ Awards was held in cities such as Houston, New York, Punta Cana, Panama, Cusco, Rome, Mumbai, Orlando, Barcelona, Miami / Bahamas, Doha, Paris, Los Cabos, Dubai, Venice, Hawaii, Abu Dhabi, Athens, Las Vegas and Muscat.

WORLDCOB is a leading business organization located in Houston, Texas that promotes the development and growth of more than 3,000 companies in over 120 countries and recognizes and boosts the growth of the outstanding companies and businesspeople as well as promoting the corporate social responsibility. And it makes it through The BIZZ, an award that recognizes the business excellence.

Sharakah’s General Manager, Abdullah Al Jufaili when receiving the prize said that it is an honor to receive this prestigious award in this ceremony with WORLDCOB and we truly thank the organizers of the event for recognizing our efforts as this drives us to achieve more in the coming years.

Sharakah was incorporated by a Royal Decree back in 1998 to support the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Sultanate of Oman to offer services including creating awareness about the importance of Entrepreneurship and SMEs; Providing financial support for new and existing businesses; and providing consultation and advice to business owners to ensure their progress and sustainability.

04/05/2016

Browny Popcorn has opened its doors recently at Panorama Mall to all the popcorn fans to enjoy the new gourmet popcorn in Oman. The business is offering its customers gourmet popcorn with 12 different and exotic flavors such as Oreo, Digestive, Caramel and more. Browny Popcorn ensures that the popcorn is freshly prepared daily without the use of any preservatives or artificial colors.

This idea is a brain child of two young entrepreneurs who possess the skills and capabilities to run a successful enterprise Abdullah Al Dughaishi and Issa Al Hooti. “We have been entertaining the idea of creating our own enterprise since November 2013 and we have faced a number of challenges both at the early stages. However, we were very much aware that it is not going to be a smooth ride. The entrepreneurship journey is full of excitement and we believe that we have achieved an important milestone by opening our first branch. Our current objective is to make more people aware of the delicious and tasty popcorn and our long turn objective is to expand nationally.” commented Abdullah AL Dughaish- owner of Browny Popcorn.

The project got support from Fund for Development of Youth Projects (Sharakah). Commenting on this Mr. Mohamed Al Lawati, Marketing Specialist at Sharakah said "it always gives us pleasure at Sharakah to see a new business transforming from a concept on paper to a real business. To achieve that, it takes a combination of a good idea, dedicated & skillful entrepreneur and a clear business plan based on the right market conditions. Browny Popcorn has met all of those general criteria and we believe that it has potential to grow”

24/03/2016

Sharakah held its Annual General Meeting for the financial year ended 31 December, 2015 on 24th March, 2016 presided by Mr. Said Al Sahib, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, with the attendance of the Board of Directors, Shareholders and officials from the concerned authorities.

Mr. Said started the meeting by welcoming the attendees and presenting Sharakah`s achievements during the year 2015. He mentioned that Sharakah invested a total of OMR 587,000 in SMEs. The total number of projects supported during the year was 31 and that includes 19 projects that received grants through Khazzan Project for SME Development sponsored by BP and managed by Sharakah.

He added “Four of the SMEs supported by Sharakah paid their dues in 2015. All of which are delivering good results. The total amount received was OMR 104,000. Indeed, most of the projects supported are continuing to grow. Since 2011 50 projects received financial support of which 16 of them have completely settled their dues and 32 are growing at a steady rate. The success rate stands at 96%, which is far better than the global average.

“During the year as well, Sharakah launched its annual event, Sharakah Forum, which attracted the attention of SMEs and several other organizations regionally. Given its success, Sharakah is planning to organize this event every year. As a consequence, inquires and applications that Sharakah receives has increased and more people know about the services provided to SMEs.” Said Mr. Said

The AGM as well discussed and approved the Audited Financial Statements for the year 2015 and the appointment of the Statutory Auditor for the financial year ending in 31 December, 2016.

Mr. Said Al Sahib concluded by conveying his gratitude to His Majesty the Sultan for the endless support to Small and Medium Enterprises in Oman. And greatly appreciated the support that SME`s in general and Sharakah in particular received from His Majesty. He also thanked the shareholders for the support they have shown.

14/02/2016

Mint Marketing recently signed an agreement with Sharakah to receive financial support. The agreement entails that Mint Marketing will receive funding as well as business development services that would enable them to expand and take the business to the next level. The financial support aims at covering mostly the working capital and cost of capital for purchasing few assets.

Mint Marketing founders and owners Issra Ahmed Ibrahim and Imad Ahmed Hassan are fully dedicated to the business. The business which specializes in marketing and branding is one of the incubated companies in the National Business Center and has been operational for 3 years.

Both Issra and Imad have extensive experience in the field as they have worked in several reputed organization earlier in their career before deciding to venture into their own business. Issra is earned her MBA from Bedfordshire University in the UK. She has more than 11 years of working experience in several organizations including Gulf Brands Company, Al Madina Financial and Alliance Housing Bank. Imad is a professional photographer who specializes in (corporate photography).

Commenting at the signing Abdullah Al Jufaili, Sharakah General Manager said “This is the first time that we have supported a marketing and branding firm. We have called out to much knowledge based SMEs and we informed them that we are considering their requirements of working capital; however we haven’t been successful in the past in attracting such businesses. We believe that the essences of such businesses are the entrepreneurs behind the business and we are confident that both Issra and Imad have what it takes to take Mint Marketing to the next level”.

“Mint is a branding and marketing company that prescribes the ideal recipe for any brand to guarantee its success. Since establishment, Mint launched more than 30 successful Omani brands, and established a sister company in Bahrain. We are aiming at moving to the next level and we believe that the support offered to us by Sharakah will enable us to do so”. Said Issra

Sharakah`s focus is on SME`s sustainability, so their support goes far beyond financing. Recently they have introduced many mechanisms and tools to help them asses the progress of the business and guide the owners towards achieving success. In year 2015, Sharakah has sanctioned 12 projects with a total investment amount of OMR 587,000. These include new projects and recurring clients who have asked for additional finance. With confident efforts, Sharakah aims to increase the number of the sanctioned projects for 2016 and aspire to be the SME supporting organization that everyone is proud to be associated with.
01/02/2016

Zurbian Yemeni Restaurant was inaugurated last night under the patronage of Mr. Khalifa bin Saeed Al Abri, CEO of the Public Authority for SME Development (Riyada). The inauguration ceremony attracted a crowd of audience consisted of officials from SME development organizations and relevant organizations.

Zurbian aims at providing a dining experience of traditional Yemeni food. What makes this restaurant unique is the “Zurbian” dish, which is slow cooked mandy rice with meat topped with savory cashew nuts and fried onions. Zurbian Restaurant is one of the largest Yemeni restaurants in Muscat. It can cater up to 100 guests at a given time that is aside from four private rooms for families.

Zurbian is owned by Younis Al Harrasi, a young 26 year old Omani entrepreneur. Younis is fully dedicated to running this business and two other businesses that he earlier created. He ensured that Zuribian gives his guests the complete Yemeni cuisine experience as he paid attention to minor details. Zuribian offers a fusion of different dishes of Yemeni food all under one roof.

At the event Younis Al Harrasi said “Months of hard work is finally paying off as we officially open doors for guests to our restaurant. We have already done a soft launch a month back and the turn up is overwhelming. Sharakah has been very supportive throughout and we are sure that will benefit a great deal from their support.”

Mr. Khalifa Al Abri also commented “Since the SME Symposium at Seih Al Shamikhat, we have seen the number of Omanis launching their own business increasing. This shows that all the efforts invested by concerned public and private sector organization are paying off. We are delighted to be here tonight to witness the beginning of yet another SME managed by a young Omani. We wish them all the success and their upcoming exciting journey.”

"We are proud to see youth endeavor to depend on themselves and create jobs for themselves and others. Indeed, the majority of businesses supported lately are in the food and beverages sector. That shows that there is a slight change in the way of living and definitely there is demand in the market.” Said Halima Al Riyami

06/01/2016

Sharakah was recently awarded as the “Best Enterprise” in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises financial support at the Europe Business Assembly (EBA). The General Manager Abdullah Al Jufaili was also awarded the Best Manager for the year 2015 in SME support category.

The prestigious international award was conferred upon Sharakah by Europe Business Assembly (EBA), Oxford, United Kingdom. The Europe Business Assembly (EBA) is an international corporation of social partnership established in the year 2000 in Oxford, UK. Its main objectives are to develop and promote social and economic links between companies, investors, education establishments, cities and countries worldwide. The main purpose of EBA is to reward the hard work of individuals and institutes that contribute towards the development of the society culture, science, and economics.

Sharakah was nominated for the award based on the basis of its significant contribution to the national economy by active support to SMEs, Special financial solutions and programs, Assistance for private entrepreneurship development, and the positive image in regional media. As part of Sharakah’s contribution to capacity building and skills development, Sharakah delivers workshops titled "Dynamic Entrepreneurship" to students & entrepreneurs to develop a deeper understanding of cash flows statements and enlightening the participants of different factors that could affect business performance.

In its effort to equip aspiring entrepreneurs, Sharakah tied up with several organizations to assess and develop SMEs. Sharakah has developed a Business Performance Monitoring Tool that enables it to monitor the progress of businesses that Sharakah has supported and ensure that they are on the right track. All this was taken into consideration by EBA while giving the award for “Best Enterprise” in the field of Small and Medium Enterprises financial support and its General Manager Mr. Abdullah Jufaili “The Best Manager Award”.

Sharakah is an ISO certified organization applying best practices to ensure that they serve the entrepreneurs in an efficient manner. In 2010, Sharakah was awarded the Special SME Finance Award during the Mediterranean Awards for Global Excellence in Islamic Finance held in Malta.

Few of the SMEs that Sharakah supported received renowned awards for their performance. This includes Ms. Rayan Al Kalbani, Founder of Mazoon Environmental and Technological Services being first Omani woman entrepreneur to be inducted into Women in Science Hall of Fame of the US Department of State, Revolution Group Exercise (Rev Gx) won the best small and medium enterprise (SME) award at the Omantel Excellence Awards in 2013. This was followed by the Entrepreneur Conclave Award in 2014. Love at First Bite also received Travelex Oman Tourism Ambassador Awards and Best Brand in The Gulf at Kuwait. Lab Scientific was awarded Best Enterprise at Omantel Business Excellence SME Awards and best performing company at the National Business Center (NBC) for 2 consecutive years.
03/11/2015

When you think of food and Italian, you think of Pizza, Pasta and delicious Gelato and showcasing their expertise in the field of ice cream making & creation is exactly what Ice Cream Mama proved in the qualifying rounds held at the recent Gelato World Summit Contest held in Dubai on 30th and 31st October, 2016. The 100% Omani SME sizzled its way into the finals being the only Omani company as well and only Arab participant to qualify into the finals.

Promoted by the Italian Cuisine World Summit, this year’s competition saw 16 participants from all over the world including 5-Star International Hotels and Food and Beverage Chains competing to make the best and highest quality of gelato.

Ice Cream Mama, represented at the competition by the original founder and co-owner, Rami Al Lawati, was beyond ecstatic upon receiving the news of his qualification making him one of the five participants chosen to compete in the finals to be held in Dubai on 9th November, 2016. “For an SME from Oman to be chosen as a finalist amongst internationally renowned brands, is really an achievement and goes to show how good our products really are”, said Rami Al Lawati.

Ice Cream Mama was established in 2013 and now has 3 branches in Muscat – Shatti Al Qurum (next to the cinema), Qurum (on the PDO road), Mawalah South (Oman Oil petrol pump) The company serves their classic and variety-filled ‘Mama Originals’ and their recently launched lines, ‘Mama Softey’ and ‘Mama Yougurts’. The proud Omani SME is soon to also set up shop in Al Khuwair 42 and 18th November Street.