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Entrepreneur Par Excellence
As a tribute to Sheikh Saud Salim
Abdullah Bahwan Al Mukhaini, the visionary and philanthropist who passed away on
August 20, 2008, we reprint an artcle from OMAN 2006 our annual publication in
which he talks about his life and vision
Young nation. Long list of personal desires with purchasing capacity. A new
ruler on the throne, full of ambition to make his people happy and prosperous.
What more one can ask for, if you’re an entrepreneur? This precisely is what
happened in the Sultanate of Oman in the early 1970s when His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos bin Said ascended the throne. Businessmen with an uncanny business acumen
walked in to cash in on the opportunity. Sheikh Saud Salim Bahwan, the founder
of the Saud Bahwan Group empire, is one such genius. Just three decades down the
line, he manages a multi-billion rial business enterprise – serving people with
a smile and earning the respect and praise of his foreign partners.
If the world is tough, the world of business is even tougher. The state of the
economy actually does not count for much. Be it a new nation or a mature one,
the challenges are always there. Successful businessmen are those who possess a
driving force, an innovative mind, leadership skills, a love for adventure and a
passion to win. Nothing less will suffice. These ingredients will make or mar
one’s career. Sheikh Saud Salim Bahwan, who has established a mammoth business
enterprise in the Sultanate of Oman, is one such rare personality.
Childhood was not a bed of roses for him. At the age of nine, he got himself
engaged in trading on a wooden dhow. His entrepreneurial streak was unmistakable
even at that tender age. Such a drive coupled with a passion for excellence saw
him create a name for himself at home and abroad.
Young nation. Dynamic leadership. Aspiring natives. Long list of demands.
Indeed, an excellent combination for entrepreneurs to thrive. Sheikh Saud was
one of the early business heads to spot this changing landscape. His magic touch
led to repeated success stories - in every sphere of activity, making the Saud
Bahwan Group (SBG) of companies one of the largest and the most successful in
Oman.
First Break
The Group is one of the largest business houses in Oman today. But the going was
tough in the initial years. The shop at ancient Muttrah Souq where it all began
was a very small outlet. He began by selling Toshiba TVs and Seiko watches. With
the infrastructure development in full swing in addition to the oil boom in the
1970s – there was an air of optimism.
Sensing the mood of the nation, Sheikh Saud imported colour television sets and
glitzy watches. What is noteworthy is his obsession with excellence. He chose to
bring in the best for his countrymen – that too, from Japan, the tiny nation
that was – and is – synonymous with quality electronic goods globally.
As business grew, Sheikh Saud wanted to expand his horizon. Watching the world
speeding ahead fast, he set his sights on acquiring the Toyota agency, which he
was convinced would be a huge winner. The reason was simple: personal mobility
was becoming a necessity in the absence of any public transport for people from
various walks of life.
However, Toyota was hesitant to give him the agency due to the small size of his
business operations. He persisted in his attempts to win over Toyota Motor
Corporation (TMC) and finally in 1975, his efforts bore fruit. The first order
was for just five cars, but imports into Oman now have crossed well over 650,000
units.
Dynamic Initiatives
The Group’s leadership position has been maintained due to the pioneering
‘customer firsts’ in marketing, after sales support and customer care. The
Group’s huge investments have included building a world class sales, parts and
service infrastructure. The Toyota service facility at Muscat is one of the
largest Toyota facilities in the world. Recognising the growing, undisputed
leadership of Toyota brand in Oman, Sheikh Saud was presented twice with the
‘Best Management’ award — a first amongst 175 Toyota distributors across the
world; the Group has also been consistently ranked amongst the world’s top 5
distributors by TMC. Recently, Dr Shoichiro Toyoda, Honorary Chairman of TMC,
himself presented Sheikh Saud with the ‘Toyota Excellence Award’ foroutstanding
performance.
Diversification
The group strongly believes that diversification into new areas is the key to
rapid growth and success. It not only broadens horizons but offers new
challenges also. Emerging Oman offered plenty of scope for alert business groups
to thrive and prosper. The Group has gone into Automobile Ancillaries,
construction equipment; oil & gas products, specialty equipment and
infrastructure projects, defence equipment and services, travel and tourism,
among others.
A classic example of their ability to service and supply exacting requirements
would be the multi-million dollar contract with Petroleum Development Oman for
the supply and maintenance of 600 specially modified vehicles; and the
purpose-built fuel tankers for Shell Oman.
Omanisation
The oft-quoted expression of the Chairman is “We don’t seek satisfaction in mere
numbers. We take pride in creating rewarding careers for Omanis.” This
expression encapsulates the Group’s commitment to Omanisation … a vital national
priority, in which it has taken giant strides. Sheikh Saud himself supervises
the Omanisation programme. Good work does not go unnoticed. The Omanisation
drive has earned it a number of accolades. These include the coveted Green Card
in recognition of the Group’s outstanding Omanisation record for the last seven
years in a row, the GCC Award for Excellence in Omanisation; the prestigious
Omanisation Award from the Ministry of Manpower and many more.
All said and done, nation building is nothing but capacity and wealth creation
on a large scale. This can happen only if there is an ardent, collective desire.
It is inevitable and desirable as well that mega corporations sprout in the
process of such frenetic nation building activity. Sheikh Saud took the
challenge of nation building by bringing world class brands, consumer items and
cars to Oman and creating job opportunities for the Omanis.
Even before corporate social responsibility became a buzzword, Sheikh Saud
Bahwan was into it, in his own way.
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‘Work hard with passion’
 I
have always had very high aspirations and have worked
towards achieving my goals despite obstacles.
Throughout my life, there has been one major
underlying belief—excellence cannot be achieved as a
matter of chance; it is the result of conscious effort
and perseverance. My life, right from the beginning,
from the age of 9 until now, has been full of hard
work and effort. Looking back, there is a feeling of
deep satisfaction, thanks to God.
One does not work with the single-minded objective of
getting a certain award or recognition, if it does
transpire, it is an encouragement; an impetus to work
even harder. I can say that awards are a constant
source of inspiration for me, to re-dedicate myself to
even higher standards of customer service on an
ongoing basis. Omanisation does not begin and end with
numbers. We have always believed in providing Omanis
with more than a job, rather a long-term career. When
it comes to work, there is no differentiation between
Omanis and expatriates. A lack of commitment or
indiscipline is just not acceptable to me. I strongly
believe that our Omani youth are excellent and with
training and guidance, they will surely grow and help
take the country forward.
My advice to the younger generation is that they
should remember there is just no substitute for hard
work and aiming high. They should not worry about the
past; they should set ambitious goals for themselves
and work hard with passion.” |
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September
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Cover Story |
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OMAN BECKONS
Robust economic growth and diversification, has
made Oman a destination of choice for a growing number of CEO’s and senior
executives from developed countries. Visvas Paul D Karra reports |
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Other Headlines |
ON A GROWTH TRAJECTORY
HE Anil Wadhwa, Ambassador of India, Sultanate of Oman speaks to OER’s Mayank
Singh about growing trade relations between India and Oman, emerging economic
opportunities and the obstacles holding back trade |
OPENING NEW VISTAS
Having carved a niche for itself with its ERP
solutions, Towell-take solutions is looking at strengthening its market position
with its latest offering TIMICSnXg writes Mayank Singh |
A man for all seasons
HE Nasser Khamis Al Jashmi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil and Gas is
a man whose world view has been shaped by myriad influences, writes Mayank Singh |
Should banks be allowed to take holidays
for more than two days in a row?
Starting this month Oman Economic Review
is introducing a new column called ‘Debate’. In July, there were two extended
weekends with most establishments remaining closed for nearly three days. We ask
Raghavan K Murti and Krishna K Gupta for their opinion |
Union legislation: Positive Pressure
The government’s decision allowing the formation of labour unions strikes the
perfect balance between protection of workers rights and safeguarding the
interest of employers writes Visvas Paul D Karra |
Nice Guy Syndrome
Leading entails a lot of balancing. one should strike a balance between
being a dictator and a doormat |
Entrepreneur Par Excellence
As a tribute to Sheikh Saud Salim
Abdullah Bahwan Al Mukhaini, the visionary and philanthropist who passed away on
August 20, 2008, we reprint an artcle from OMAN 2006 our annual publication in
which he talks about his life and vision |
A bright future
A well planned approach towards our finances can make our children’s journey
to adulthood that much easier and better. Mayank Singh reports |
Global Talent ADVANTAGE
Recruiting and retaining talent have always been a struggle for global
companies. Today, the challenges are larger than ever. With demand rising and
supply dwindling, companies are finding that the talent issue, especially in
rapidly developing economies (RDEs), is one of their most critical challenges.
By Daniel Friedman, Jim Hemerling and Jacqueline Chapman |
FIRED UP
Enterprises, like human beings, have their own metabolic phases: Growth,
sickness, recovery and decay. Majan Glass – the one and only glass manufacturer
in the Sultanate of Oman – was no exception. Ramesh Kumar and Fatma al Arimi
report |
Life in positive mode
Nilesh Samani loves everything around him, including his family, friends and
his work, writes Visvas Paul D Karra |
Upwardly Mobile
I forgot my mobile yesterday morning. It
brought home to me something I already knew: I’m lost without it. It’s no wonder
then that smart marketers are targeting us through our phones, writes Jon Burke |
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THE BULLISH CASE FOR THE US DOLLAR
The rally of the dollar is having aN impact on the macroeconomic indicators of
countries from Europe to the Indian subcontinent. It also puts a spanner in the
works for oil prices and the northward movement of goods |
Investing in one’s future
The growing demand for new skills sets is
proving to be a big business opportunity for vocational training institutes,
writes Mayank Singh |
Oil and a falling dollar?
Over the past few weeks, the dollar has been rising just as the price of oil
has fallen, setting off much speculation about the implications of both in these
interesting economic times. The phenomena are interlinked to an extent, and both
have some ramifications for Oman |
GCC explores novel solutions to food
crisis
As the import food bill of GCC nations climbs rapidly a number of countries
in the region have started exploring a variety of options to ensure food safety
of their populations in future |
KING OF THE FLEET
It seems that Nissan has been listening to its customers and decided to
make sure that the new Armada wins hearts. writes Malcolm Xavier CRASTA |
Building a portfolio
An early start combined with a planned approach to ones finances goes a long
way in securing the future of ones kids |
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