It might be big business that grabs the headlines, but local entrepreneurs and small firms are playing their part in delivering jobs, growth and prosperity for people across Oman.  

According to a statement by Ithraa, ‘Whether it’s the local coffee shop we visit in the mornings, the nearby manufacturer that employs a family member, the tour guide neighbour who takes tourists round or the tech firm set up by friends that is designing apps to meet our everyday needs, we all regularly interact with small businesses to some degree.  

‘While these companies might only seem to touch our lives in small ways, their overall impact is shaping Oman’s cities and regions, powering the sultanate’s diversification and transforming approaches and attitudes to employment.’ 

The road ahead for these local entrepreneurs, the opportunities the global marketplace presents them and the challenges they face as they deal with the hurdles of the Digital Economy will be the topic of Ithraa’s final Inside Stories session of the year, ‘The Future of Entrepreneurship.’  

The session will be held at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation Training Centre, North Al Hail, on Tuesday at 7.30pm. 

“Barriers to entry to entrepreneurship have been lowered – these days getting your start-up off the ground requires only a laptop and an Internet connection, giving local entrepreneurs easy access to a world of consumers and suppliers,” remarked Ishaq al Busaidi, Ithraa’s director general of Marketing & Media and organiser of the popular Inside Stories initiative. “And as our companies reshape themselves to compete in today’s inter-connected marketplace, the possibilities for entrepreneurs are exponential.”  

Busaidi, said that Omani entrepreneurs have a burgeoning ecosystem of support in which organisations across the board are collaborating to provide start-ups with mentoring, guidance, advice, finance and state-of-the-art office space.  

Busaidi also introduced the panel for the event: Sayyid Dr Adham al Said of The Firm would be moderating the deliberations of Yousuf al Harthy from Oman Technology Fund, PDO’s Dr Mohammed al Mughairi, Rasha al Mahruqy from Protiviti, Nasr al Saleh, Renewable Marine Fuels and Mulkie al Hashmi of the National Business Centre.  

Free seats can be reserved by emailing name and mobile number to: [email protected]