Approximately 200 business people and public sector representatives are expected to attend PEIE’s Smart Manufacturing Conference, scheduled for 23 – 24 January 2006 at the Muscat Inter-Continental. According to Eng. Mohammed Al Ghassani, Executive Vice President, PEIE: “The main focus of the event is to benefit and build bigger Oman-based manufacturers through an open, frank debate on the strengths and weaknesses of manufacturers and their business models.”
Held under the patronage of Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce & Industry and Chairman, PEIE, the event has received the backing of British Airways. Commenting on the airline’s support of the two-day event, BA’s Country Manager, Sunita Gomes (pictured) said: “I fully expect PEIE’s Smart Manufacturing Conference to provide business professionals with an understanding of how manufacturing is developing today and most importantly, how it contributes to the development and growth of Oman’s economy. British Airways is proud to be involved in what is obviously an important and timely national event in the Sultanate of Oman.”
According to Al Ghassani, the Conference is intended to achieve some highly important objectives, these include: providing a unique forum for leading-edge, Oman-based manufacturers to meet and discuss their value-propositions, business models, markets, objectives and issues. The event will enable policy makers and service providers to listen in and learn first hand about what’s driving Oman-based manufacturers and therefore learn how best to support them. In addition, the Conference will provide an opportunity to make delegates' voices heard directly by Government and related organisations about the needs of manufacturers. Finally, the two-day programme will promote a bright and positive image of manufacturing in Oman, making it an area in which people want to work and invest.”
Commenting on the future of manufacturing, Graham Porter, Marketing Manager, MENA region, Sun Microsystems and speaker at the event, remarked: “Omani manufacturers must seek new ideas and opportunities and exploit them more fully and at a faster rate, and then reinvest that success in further R&D and marketing. They must also develop the recipes, process and business know-how and keep commercial lines in place or they will ever be passing up value opportunities.”
“PEIE deserves high praise for organising this Conference. In fact, it has the best line-up of speakers I’ve ever seen at a Manufacturing event,” said Smart Manufacturing sponsor Karim Rahemtulla and CEO of highly regarded mobile commerce firm, Infocomm.
