Courage of Conviction
Her Highness Sayyida Aliya bint Thuwaini Al Said, Director, The Chedi Hotel, and Patron of the Al Noor Association for the Blind, in a chat with Akshay Bhatnagar talks about how women are coming up in business in Oman

What is the state of women in business in Oman?
Women in Oman have come a long way. Earlier, due to lack of education and opportunities, women were not playing a significant role in the economic development of the Sultanate. Today, women are focusing on getting a proper education and thus better prepared to decide and plan their careers. The mindset of families is also changing, as they are giving equal importance to education and career development of their womenfolk. No wonder, today Oman has four female ministers, who are doing an excellent work.

On the business front, we have shining examples such as Hind Bahwan, Lujaina Darwish and Areej Zawawi, all of whom have proved that women can not only match but also outperform men in business management. Likewise there are many Omani women who are successfully running their own medium and small enterprises. The need of the hour is to bring in more women, not just in the cities but in the interiors also, to optimally harness the power of women in the development of Oman.

What steps should be taken by the government and the corporate sector to harness woman power?
The government has done an excellent job in creating the environment that facilitates equal opportunities for women and men. The Sanad programme is a good initiative to encourage and promote entrepreneurship among the Omanis. Many women have benefited from this programme. It helps in not only providing the seed money to kickstart a business but also impart the necessary skills, training and guidance to become a successful businesswoman. The private sector is already encouraging women at all levels. You go to sunrise sectors, such as telecommunications, tourism, retail, banking, etc., and the chances are that you may find many women occupying the top slots.

How is the Women in Business Conference ’07 expected to promote Omani women in business?
Women in Business Conference ’07 is the first event of its kind in the Sultanate that brings on a common platform successful women from Oman and the international arena. The role models will share their experience with other women who aspire to become successful in business or career. It will provide an excellent opportunity for women to gain from sharing their knowledge and business vision. The event will inspire many women to come forward and give shape to their dreams.

How has been your experience as a businesswoman?
I’ve always challenged myself to do things that have been traditionally restricted to men. I’ve been involved in charity related activities for quite some time. And I wanted to apply my management skills, honed in charity work, in a different kind of business. More than three years ago, I joined as a director on the board of The Chedi Hotel. As I was quite raw in hotel business, in the first year, I focused on building knowledge on the industry and related business affairs by observing others, reading reference books, surfing internet and talking to industry experts. From the second year onwards, I started making a more meaningful contribution to the business by actively participating in the decision-making process.

Do you aspire to build your own business from scratch?
Absolutely! Though there is no end to the learning process, but today I feel confident that I can conceptualise, plan and run my own business. In fact, I have just finalised the feasibility aspect of developing land near The Chedi Hotel.

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