Origin Oman Expo Says Think Local

Oman may be a country filled with international brands and sprawling shopping malls. But according to Origin Oman, a newly-launched government campaign designed to encourage consumers, businesses and institutional buyers to think local first, it is also a place where shoppers are surprisingly loyal to local businesses, products and services.

Ibtisam Al Faruji, Director of Marketing at the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) and the woman spearheading Origin Oman’s marketing comments: “The campaign aims to capitalize on the loyalty that already exists and to get more people in Oman to think local first. It is through events like the Origin Oman Exhibition scheduled to be held in the grounds of LuLu Hypermatket in Ghubra, 25 – 29 May that local businesses and government organizations are joining forces with us to appeal to peoples’ civic pride and to show off not only how good locally produced goods and services are but to emphasize the considerable benefits they bring to the country.”

“Our goal is modest,” says Al Faruji: “We’re highlighting the quality of locally made products and services and urging consumers to shop locally because it benefits our community.” The campaign is also about promoting such concepts as fostering a sustainable local economy, job creation, reducing our carbon footprint and preserving Oman’s unique character.

Over 50 companies will participate in the Origin Oman exhibition which will showcase local artisans and manufacturers of everything from candles, furniture, shoes, tea and ceramic tiles to water. “The idea is to get people to think more about where their Rials are being spent and what it means to the local community,” says PEIE’s Zuhair Al Zadjali and Origin Oman Exhibition Co-ordinator: “There are a lot of people who want to maintain the unique character of their neighbourhoods and towns. Having a flourishing local business sector is key to that.”

The campaign believes that nurturing local business can bring substantial economic rewards, create all important job opportunities, spread more money around the sultanate and help reduce CO2 emissions. Indeed, a recent US study found that for every US$100 local busineses brought in through sales, they returned US$68 to the local economy through wages and benefits, purchase of goods and services like office supplies, IT, accounting and advertising, profits to local owners and charitable giving. “Statistics like these clearly illustrate the power that consumers have in influencing the growth of local business,” says Al Zadjali.

“If the Origin Oman campaign can influence even 10 percent more consumers to spend their money on locally produced goods and servics, that'll have a significant impact,” says Hamida Al Balushi, Marketing Officer at PEIE and Co-ordinator of the Origin Oman 150 Kilometre Meal project. "It can make the difference between life and death for local busineses." The message is clear says Al Faruji: “It's time to think, buy and eat local.”

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

150 KM Meal Puts Local Food on the Menu

The demand for local produce is on the rise. Recent market research show that 70% of consumers worldwide now want to buy local and 49% want to buy more local produce than they do at the moment. “Given this demand, more local produce is going to show up in greater quantity on Omani supermarket shelves and in restaurants and that’s great news for consumers and for all of us involved in the Origin Oman Campaign,” says Ibtisam Al Faruji, Marketing Director, Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) and the woman spearheading the Origin Oman marketing campaign (www.originoman.om).

According to the PEIE Marketing Director: “Local produce like, pomegranate, sea salt and goat sausage start out as exotic or niche offerings and then move into the mainstream based on consumer demand for variety, premium products and healthy foods.”

Indeed, Hamida Al Balushi, organizer of Origin Oman’s 150 Kilometre Meal scheduled to be held at the Oman Tourism College on May 26 and 27, has been studying the evolution of food popularity. "Stage one is something we see in fine dining or ethnic food," she says, adding that stage two is specialty-food-oriented retail and media channels, like the gourmet magazines we pick up in local supermarkets. Stage three finds the item in mainstream local restaurants and retail stores targeting recreational cooks and food lovers. Stage four finds such products getting general market coverage in family and women's magazines. Finally, by stage five the product would be showing up in supermarkets or on fast-food menus either as a stand-alone product, flavouring or functional food.

The key reasons driving the demand for local produce seem to be that today’s consumer wants to know more about how their food has been produced. They also care about food safety, traceability, provenance and animal welfare. “Oman-based shoppers of all nationalities, also want freshness and to have a sense of food tasting like it should or used to do,” remarks Al Faruji. Both Al Faruji and Al Balushi are upbeat about the 150 Kilometre Meal initiative and the importance of sourcing produce locally. “There’s so much more to the 150 Kilometre Meal project than simply focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. There are other win-wins out there. Buying locally, with more money flowing into the local economy, is good for the whole community. There will hopefully be less packaging and the food will be fresher and healthier as well,” suggests Al Balushi.

To reserve your free place at the 150 Kilometre Meal e-mail your name and contact co-ordinates to hamida.albalushi@peie.omBlog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman Expo 25 - 29 May

“There’s a lot of excitement in the Origin Oman Team about our forthcoming ‘Think Local’ Exhibition which is going to be held in the grounds of the Al Khuwair LuLu Hypermarket, 25 – 29 May,” says Ibtisam Al Faruji, Director of Marketing at the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) and organizer of the five day event.

“We’re very proud of this exhibition and we’ve had a terrific response from manufacturers and service providers. The team at Lulu have also been great and we’re very grateful to them for their support,” says PEIE’s Zuhair Al Zadjali and Origin Oman exhibition manager. “There is so much quality being produced in Oman and we want to showcase that excellence. We already have over 50 Omani manufacturers, producers and service providers signed up and ready to use the exhibition to promote their range of quality products and services. They are also keen to take this opportunity to educate and inform consumers, demonstrate their considerable business expertise and of course sell their services and products direct to local buyers. It’s a great way for them to reach out to the community.”

Clearly enthusiastic about the topic Al Zadjali goes on to say: “The notion of local products is not exactly a new principle. Of course, most things start their life produced for local sale but recently there has been a revival of interest in buying goods, food and services from closer to home. It is driven by desire for quality, originality, a concern for the environment and a will to invest in our own communities. This exhibition is a response to that.”

Al Faruji has clear thoughts on what’s behind the resurgence of interest in local products and services: “I think there are a number of issues at play. As Zuhair says we have seen growing concern for the environment and how much transport and energy is required to bring products to market. This is coupled with nostalgia for the kind of relationship that goes hand-in-hand with the selling of local products. Also, the growth of tourism has meant that people exploring our country and culture have taken an interest in locally made products and fare which has fostered the growth in the demand for local goods and services and these are themes that need to be highlighted. Coupled with that people are beginning to realise that ‘Origin Oman’ is a badge that means quality. Just look at, for example, the success of Oman Cables overseas – they’ve been used in Heathrow Airport and in many other world class projects. Al Raha Mattresses enjoy extraordinary international success and Reem Batteries are powering London’s red double decker buses – these are remarkable stories that need to be shared. For me, this exhibition really does feel like the right thing at the right time.”

Visit the Origin Oman Think Local Exhibition from 25-29 May at Al Khuwair. To find out more about the Origin Oman campaign log on to: http://www.originoman.om/

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

KOM's Digital Nation Looks at Secondlife.com

Second Life, the business world’s most rapidly expanding on-line community with a market value of around US$1 billion will be the topic for discussion at Knowledge Oasis Muscat’s forthcoming Digital Nation seminar scheduled to be held at the Muscat Inter-Continental Hotel, 7:45pm, Monday 26 May.

The seminar delivered by David Wortley, Director, Serious Games Institute, Coventry University and Paul Turner, CEO, The Walk in Web Ltd will show how forward thinking companies and governments are making use of Second Life’s rapidly growing online virtual environment and communicating, interacting, trading and remotely collaborating through the internet.

Launched in 2003 there are now over 7 million registered Second Life users and the site is growing at a rate of 10,000 new members each day. Commentators fully expect membership to reach a staggering 25 million by May 2008. Sometimes referred to as the Metaverse, investors behind Linden Labs, creators of Second Life, include the founders of Amazon.com and eBay.

“It’s not just Second Life though” Says Wortley “companies and governments wanting to stay one step ahead of the game recognised a while back that expensive forms of simple brand recognition such as TV advertising is dying, opportunities such as Second Life, YouTube and MySpace are not simply the latest fad, but are here to stay and organizations find them flexible and cheaper. If Oman is to blossom as a high-end tourist destination then it needs to be looking at the opportunities Second Life has offer.”

The sky really is the limit when it comes to how an organization can tap into and benefit commercially from Second Life,” adds Turner. “For example, there’s a company that’s in the process of designing a Football Stadium for a Premiership Club where they will be able to sell all their merchandise to not just the real world but also for people (avatars) to wear and use within Second Life. This might be the first club to do so but others will surely follow. There are other firms that are helping government-run tourist authorities replicate their tourism resorts in which visitors to Second Life can enjoy all the same facilities such as hiring rooms, eating in restaurants and enjoying the nightlife. The marketing logic is simple, you enjoy the experience in Second Life then you’ll be tempted to visit the real place.”

To reserve your free seat at KOM’s Secondlife.com Digital Nation Seminar and dinner and learn how your organization could embrace Second Life then simply e-mail and your name and contact co-ordinates to: mulkie@kom.om

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

BBIC 2008 Gets More Backing

Young Omanis have the chance to win RO5,000 and 12 months rent free office accommodation in The Knowledge Mine business incubator program if they enter the TKM – Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition which was launched recently at Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) by the Park’s Director General, Mohammed Al Maskari and KOM’s Head of Marketing, Ibtisam Al Faruji.

Al Maskari comments: “The TKM – Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition seeks to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit amongst Oman’s youth so that they are equipped with business and commercial awareness for their future careers whether they be in academia, business or the public sector. If we’re to bridge the productivity gap which currently exists between this region and the rest of the world, we have to increase business start-ups and entrepreneurialism. That’s why competitions like this are so important.”

Backed by Ernst & Young, Knowledge Horizon, Infocomm, Ericsson, NCR, Intilaaqah, OER and Sanad this is the third year that the competition has been held and according to Abeer Al Jasim, Head of Professional Qualifications, Knowledge Horizon: “This is a unique nation-wide competition aimed at inspiring people to be enterprising and to turn their business ideas into something real. We’re absolutely delighted to be part of that. Any initiative that promotes Oman’s start-up culture has to be welcomed. In fact, I’ve watched the competition grow in stature over the past few years and felt now was a good time for Knowledge Horizon to get involved.”

A series of start-up workshops will be delivered by the competition’s supporters, including Knowledge Horizon, and these will cover themes like writing a business plan; the importance of technology to start-ups; small business finance; developing a business idea; and presentation skills.

Al Faruji adds: “The competition provides an exciting opportunity for Omani entrepreneurs to enhance their personal and professional skills and develop business acumen which will improve their career opportunities. We’re very keen to encourage Omani research students and post-docs to take part in this initiative in order to develop greater commercial awareness and I'm sure the first prize of RO5,000 plus free office accommodation for 12 months will be a wonderful inducement.”

The TKM–Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition has been helping to raise the profile of start-up and spin-out organisations since its inception in 2006 by providing valuable exposure for growing businesses and access to a wide range of resources, advice and guidance through its workshop programme and networking activities. The competition is free of charge and open to all Omani nationals. The competition’s closing date is 7 July and application forms can be downloaded from www.kom.om/bbic

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2008 Big Business Idea Competition Launched

Entries to the TKM–Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition, the largest technology-focused business plan competition in the Gulf region, opened at Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) yesterday at a press conference led by Mohammed Al Maskari, Director General KOM and Ibtisam Al Faruji, KOM’s Head of Marketing. Backed by Ernst & Young, Knowledge Horizon, Infocomm, Ericsson, NCR (pictured left), Intilaaqah, Sanad and OER this is the third year that the competition has been held and according to Mulkie Al Hashmi, KOM Marketing Officer: “We’re looking forward to receiving a record number of entries this year.”

“We’ll be organizing a series of workshops for those interested in entering the competition. These will be delivered by our supporters and will cover themes like writing a business plan; the importance of ICT to start-ups; small business finance; developing a business idea; and presentation skills.

The competition offers two prizes of RO5,000 each to the winning and runner up business plan. The competition’s winner and runner up are also given 12 months rent free office accommodation in The Knowledge Mine business incubator program based at KOM.

“The Infocomm team is delighted to be part of the TKM – Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition, any initiative that promotes entrepreneurship in the sultanate must be welcomed. Past entries have come in from teams, new companies, students and entrepreneurs dotted around the country. I know the KOM management are very happy with the quality of business plans that have been submitted and the winners from previous years are already taking advantage of the incubator facilities at KOM. It’s a great initiative,” commented Karim Rahemtulla, MD, Infocomm.

The TKM–Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition is not just about the competition itself. Former entrants have used the event as a launch pad to raise investment for their ventures, and the competition’s finalists, particularly, benefit from the high-profile media exposure they receive at the annual Gala Dinner, which provides them with instant access to an audience of influential business personalities seeking new investment opportunities.

One company that has benefited in this way is Qumreiyat who is developing a dynamic tourism portal. Qumreyat’s Zawan Al Sabti was one of three responsible for presenting the prize-winning pitch at the 2006 final, she says: “The competition provided our start-up with a great opportunity. We were able to present our initial ideas on business strategy and receive valuable feedback from experienced professionals on how best to take the company forward. Since presenting at the 2006 final the team has gone from strength to strength.”

Majid Al Yaqoobi of Real Reflection, an e-survey company, and runners up at last year’s event agrees that the competition provides an invaluable opportunity for young Omani entrepreneurs. “Real Reflection has attracted a significant amount of interest since we took up residency in TKM. The competition provided the focus we needed to refine our business plan and strategy. The document we produced to enter the competition was a valuable starting point on which to build the broader plan for the company’s launch. Our appearance at last year’s final clearly raised our profile to a national level, something we couldn’t have achieved on our own.”

Mohammed Al Maskari, KOM’s Director General and organiser of the TKM - Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition added: “The quality of entries is high and our experienced judges are not easily impressed, so getting to the final is a significant achievement, and one which is recognised by potential investors.”

The TKM–Ernst & Young Big Business Idea Competition has been helping to raise the profile of start-up and spin-out organisations since its inception in 2006 by providing valuable exposure for growing businesses and access to a wide range of resources, advice and guidance through its workshop programme and networking activities. The competition is free of charge and open to all Omani nationals. The competition’s closing date is 7 July and application forms can be downloaded from www.kom.om/bbic

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman's 150 Kilometre Meal Initiative

“When the average Oman based citizen sits down to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 kilometres” says Ibtisam Al Faruji of PEIE and the woman spearheading the recently-launched Origin Oman campaign (http://www.originoman.om/). “Our local products are excellent and we want to get people putting them on their plates on a more regular basis. Our goal is simple, we want to raise public awareness of locally produced food as well as highlight the environmental impact of transporting food long distances. It just makes sense,” she adds.

To get this idea into practice and show exactly how good local produce is, on the evening of 25 and 26 May, the Oman Tourism College in partnership with the Origin Oman campaign will host the ‘150 Kilometre Meal’. “The goal is to stick to ingredients grown or made within 150 kilometres of the College,” says Dietrich Repolusk (pictured), lecturer in Nutrition and International Cuisine at the college and the man responsible for planning the dinner menu along with his Omani students. ”We fully expect a sell out crowd of 60 diners each night who will feast on a meal featuring locally sourced ingredients,” says confident Repolusk.

Repolusk, an Austrian national who has been in the food and travel business for over 30 years and is an accomplished chef said: “I’m passionate about locally grown food. Eating closer to home is both safer and healthier. Food is a living, breathing entity and the fresher the food, the better it is for you. If people made the effort to make even 10% of their diet local, it would have a huge impact on the environment, the domestic economy and our communities," says Repolusk.

“Eating local isn't just about health,” he continues. “It’s also about quality. I recently had the greatest local tomatoes. They were so unbelievably sweet and delicious. Better still they didn't sit on a truck for three weeks, frozen. And as for Omani honey and the fruit from Jebel Akhdar, well, they’re exceptional.”

Origin Oman’s Ibtisam agrees. “Speaking of honey, I always like to use the honey analogy when I talk about the taste of local food," she says. “The bees visit the local flora. We smell the air and our senses and our taste buds are attuned, so when we buy local honey, it tastes better because we’re smelling and tasting something familiar. They also say eating honey from where you live helps combat allergies.”

But isn’t eating locally sourced produce more expensive? Repolusk thinks not. “Most of us pay a premium for out-of-season foods like cherries in winter or prepared foods like spaghetti sauce, usually with a long list of ingredients we might prefer not to have in our bodies. Eating locally, you can buy fresh ingredients in season direct from the market or the farmer – and to save money you can buy in bulk. Freeze the food you don’t need straight away. In my opinion, most people eating a typical diet could save money by eating locally.” Ibtisam agrees, “There are places where it's easier and places where it's harder, but with a little planning, local eating is never impossible. And if you’re looking to save money don’t forget that a lot of products made in Oman are the same quality as imported stuff and often cheaper. It’s worth reconsidering the brands you buy.”

The ‘150 Kilometre Meal’ is one of the many initiatives that make up this year’s Origin Oman campaign. Look out also for: the Origin Oman Exhibition 25 - 29 May at Lulu Hypermarket and check out the Origin Oman website http://www.originoman.om/ for more information on the campaign and its initiatives.

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman Exhibition Announced

PEIE has announced that it will organize an Origin Oman Exhibition at Lulu Hypermarket in Al Khuwair 25 – 29 May 2008.

The vitality of Oman’s economy is derived from living people, communities, businesses and ecosystems. “Place matters,” says Ibtisam Al Faruji, PEIE’s Head of Marketing and the woman spearheading the government’s recently-launched Origin Oman campaign. “The welfare of our communities relies on the health of our domestic economy. Buying and partnering locally keeps money within our communities, reduces demand on environmental resources, creates jobs, stimulates innovation and entrepreneurship and strengthens community spirit and character,” says Ibtisam.

Origin Oman is a new think, buy and eat local business initiative spearheaded by PEIE. “In simple terms, the campaign aims to preserve and enhance the economic, human and natural vitality of Oman’s communities by promoting the importance of purchasing locally made products and services,” says Al Faruji. “We expect 70 exhibitors to participate at the Origin Oman Exhibition and these will be drawn from various local sectors, from small scale handicraft businesses to large scale manufacturers like Anwar Ceramics through to local colleges such as Oman Tourism College. The exhibition is intended to give visitors a real feel of locally produced products and services.”

“Origin Oman certainly isn’t a militant 'buy only Oman' initiative,” says Hamida Al Balushi, of PEIE’s Marketing Department and Origin Oman Exhibition Co-ordinator, “it’s a balanced and rational campaign that is more about educating consumers and institutional buyers as to the availability of Oman-made products and services and the internal success stories many of our manufacturers are enjoying in the international markets.”

“Communities are joint ventures between groups of people who live within close proximity to each other to make something beautiful out of their surroundings. if you consider all of the people in a community to be partners within a joint venture, it becomes easier to see why strengthening ties between consumers, institutional buyers and local businesses is so critical. Buying local is incredibly important and we want people to reflect on they’re purchasing decisions. Our job is all about highlight the fact that Oman is producing great products and services.”

“We need this type of nudge,” suggests Hamida, “I guess that once the average Oman-based consumer realizes they already buy local to some degree, whether that’s washing powder, fruit and vegetables, baby nappies, sweets, car batteries, or cooking oil - the blocks you build your house with, they will perhaps engage in the idea a lot more. In fact, the overall economic impact of buying local is actually phenomenal.”

Further information on the exhibition can be obtained by contacting Hamida Al Balushi on: Hamida.albalushi@peie.om or on: (+968) 24 15 51 14.

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE

Origin Oman Makes Front Cover Story

The Origin Oman campaign made front cover news in the most recent edition of The Week. Ceri Edwards' story is pasted below.

When sitting down on a Friday afternoon for a hearty family meal, do you ever stop to think about where your food might have come from? For most of us, the answer is no, but a new campaign called Origin Oman, run by Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) wants to encourage more people in the sultanate to consider just this. Dave Pender, Advisor, PEIE, explained that in recent years, the distance food travels from producer to the dining table has increased by around 50 per cent. This means that, for example, the ingredients of your next meal could have potentially travelled as much as 40,000km to reach a plate in front of you. If this distance was to be reduced, there would be potential for numerous social, environmental and economic benefits, including the reduction of carbon emissions, job creation, increased community spirit and financial gain.

In order to raise awareness about the need to reduce food travel distance, an initiative under the umbrella of Origin Oman, the 150km meal has been organised as part of Origin Oman Week, between May 25-29, in tandem with key hotels in the country and the Oman Tourism College, where dishes will be created using ingredients that have travelled no more than 150km. “The idea behind the 150km meal is to present information regarding the benefits of locally sourced produce in a novel way, which in turn gets people thinking and raises awareness,” said Ibtisam Al Faruji, Head of Marketing, PEIE.

However, this initiative is just the icing on the cake. Origin Oman is a rolling campaign, which began in January 2008 and its goal is to promote, not only locally sourced food stuffs, but also technology, manpower as well as many other products and services. Without detracting from the quality of importing products and services from abroad, utilising talent and resources from within the country can help to reduce our carbon footprints, thus helping the environment, as well as simultaneously helping to make Oman a more sustainable place.Moreover, the multi-faceted campaign is not solely concentrated on ‘Joe Consumer’, but also on organisations that could become more socially responsible as a result of sourcing locally. “People sometimes just need to be made aware of what is available,” Ibtisam explained.

As well as the 150km meal concept, Origin Oman has a calendar of initiatives that will be implemented to help raise consumer consciousness. For example, a debate will be held later this month between several colleges and universities in the sultanate to discuss the importance of ‘Made in Oman’ products and services as well as what contributions students can make to the future success of the country.“Oman’s future is its youth and if we can get the message across to them, that is a positive step,” she added. In addition, Origin Oman will be launching a competition for students, enrolled in Oman-based tertiary colleges, to design a logo for the campaign. “By encapsulating the idea of locally-made goods and services in a logo, we are promoting national pride in contestants as well as giving consumers the opportunity to choose products that could help their country and the environment,” Dave added.

Other initiatives in the pipeline include the Origin Oman Week exhibition, which will be held at the car park of Lulu hypermarket, Bausher. At the event, companies and organisations from a number of industries, including fashion, travel, technology and education, will be showcasing their wares and services, providing free samples and giving informative demonstrations. With these initiatives and more planned to help consumers realise that buying locally could be beneficial at a number of levels, it is hoped that people will now shop with more awareness of the quality of products and services Oman has to offer.

Origin Oman logo competition The Origin Oman logo competition was officially launched at PEIE’s head office at Knowledge Oasis Muscat on April 20 to design a logo for the campaign. The competition is open to Oman-based college students of all nationalities. As a guideline, logo entries should take into account the various places it will be used. The closing date for entries is May 20. The winning entry will receive RO500. For more information, go to www.peie.om/press56.shtml or email hamida.albalushi@peie.om. Entries can also be dropped off at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat at KOM Building 1 reception. For more details about Origin Oman, go to http://www.originoman.om/

KOM to Showcase Start-ups at COMEX

Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) will for the third year running sponsor COMEX (www.oite.com/comex/), Oman’s annual flagship ICT exhibition. A KOM Pavilion will be staged at the Oman International Exhibition Centre from 28 April to 2 May 2008.

If you’re looking for ways on how to collaborate with firms on KOM; or to find out about advergaming; web design and web based services; m-Commerce; software design in logistics or WiFi services for the petroleum business then perhaps you should visit the companies exhibiting on the KOM Pavilion. As a sponsor of the event and with a growing modern hi-tech community of over 60 tenants, KOM is gaining momentum as it consolidates its position as one of the Gulf’s leading technology parks.

“We’re totally committed to enhancing KOM’s position and we’re actively seeking opportunities to raise the national and international profile of our tenant community,” commented Mohammed Al Maskari, KOM’s Director General. Al Maskari announced that KOM tenants will present a series of technology briefings from their respective stands. “The briefings are intended to showcase products, services and applications and provide trade visitors with an opportunity to hear about developing technologies and their applications,” says the Park’s Director General.

“Through participating in COMEX, KOM is offered an opportunity to showcase its achievements in the ICT field, and the Government's determination to develop the Sultanate as a leading regional digital centre,” says Ibtisam Al Faruji, KOM’s Head of Marketing. “The exhibition is also a golden opportunity for us to reach audiences we may not ordinarily have access to,” remarks Al Faruji.Singaporean m-Commerce expert, Karim Rahemtulla (pictured) MD, Infocomm (http://www.i-grp.com/) and one of KOM’s anchor tenants comments: “Our participation on KOM’s pavilion gives us an unique opportunity to showcase our advergaming and mobile commerce solutions and services to both business and consumers. We will also be promoting isurf.co.om our community portal. COMEX is an excellent networking event that in the past has helped us initiate a number of new business relationships.”

Asked about developments in mobile phone applications, Rahemtulla says: “It’s booming. From an international perspective, folk in Slovakia are using mobiles to remotely switch on the heat before they get home. Over 1.5 million Norwegians are sending their tax returns by SMS. British paramedics are using camera phones to send ahead to hospitals pictures of incoming injuries; and Japanese construction workers on-site are using cell phones to send pictures to contractors off-site. The SMS space is developing rapidly, we’re very excited about the opportunities it presents.”

According to Al Maskari KOM has several overlapping target groups, we cater for start-ups, SMEs and blue chip multinationals. This year, five companies from the Park’s incubator program – The Knowledge Mine (TKM) – will participate at on KOM’s Pavilion. “In simple terms,” suggests Al Maskari “TKM’s facilities help stimulate and support start-ups who are upgrading or developing new technologies, products or services. We offer start-ups support through high-quality, low-cost office space and technical, business and administrative mentoring services.” TKM’s mentor program is supported by Ericsson; Ernst & Young; KPMG; Towers & Hamlins; and Intilaaqah. “We’re very excited about the participation of TKM’s Hussam Technology; R&D; Trade Max; IT Scope; and Seeb Systems, these are highly creative start-ups that are making their mark in the domestic and regional ICT market,” commented Al Faruji.

Blog contents copyright © 2006 PEIE