Muscat – Elections for the board of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) concluded on Tuesday with a huge voter turnout witnessed at Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre in Muscat as well as the chamber’s branches across governorates.

Elections were conducted to elect 21 members from 122 contestants for a period of four years (2022-2026). A number of voters and candidates said the voting process was smooth and easy while praising the arrangements made by the electoral committee.

Dr Mohammed al Badi, Director of Legal Affairs Department at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and Member of the Main Committee for the elections, said voting went off smoothly.

“The Main Committee for the elections of OCCI will hold its meetings continuously until the closing of vote. The committee decided in its earlier meetings that the voting process should be electronic, in line with the digital transformation policies, which effectively makes sorting and counting of votes easy,” he said.

Mustafa bin Ahmed Salman, Chairman of Board of Directors of United Securities, informed that votes were cast electronically – which eased the whole process – for the first time for the OCCI board. “I hope the new board of directors of the chamber achieve the aspirations and hopes of the Omani private sector.”

He noted that the addition of joint stock companies and foreign investor companies to the Board of Directors provides an opportunity for all companies and institutions to contribute to the success of these elections by guaranteeing to find qualified representatives as members of the board.

Siham al Harthi, Founder of Siham Development and Investment Company, said that the high turnout for the elections reflects awareness of the importance of membership in the Board of Directors of OCCI.

“The Board will have a major role to play through the new system of the chamber and the addition of other categories to the membership of the board. The chamber will be a great supporter and catalyst for the Omani economy,” Siham said.

Dr Ahmed Badr, an investor in the health field in Oman, expressed his appreciation for the new system of OCCI, which added a seat for foreign investor companies within the Board. “The presence of the foreign investors in the Chamber’s board of directors represents the link between the investors and the government,” he said, praising the smooth electoral process that took place with ease.

Saeed bin Sulayem al Kindi, head of the sub-committee at OCCI in Dakhliyah Governorate, said that the number of registered voters in the governorate reached 500, and business owners and those registered flocked to cast their votes from the early morning.

Muscat
Areej Mohsin Darwish
Khalil al Khonji
Siham al Harthi
Rashid al Muslehi
Redha al Saleh

Public shareholding companies
Faisal al Rawas
Abdullah al Harthy
Mustafa Salman
Saud al Nahari
Hussein Abdul Hussein

Foreign investor companies
Abdul Latheef

Governorates
Nayef bin Hamid Fadel – Dhofar
Saeed al Abri – N Batinah
Hamoud al Saadi – S Batinah
Saif al Badi – Dhahirah
Muhammad al Maskari – N Sharqiyah
Anwar al Sinani – S Sharqiyah
Saif al Tiwani – Dakhliyah
Raed al Shehhi – Musandam
Zaher al Kaabi – Buraimi
Salem al Junaibi – Al Wusta