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SOHAR ALUMINIUM

The company is shifting base to Sohar and a team is working on making the transition smooth for employees and families
Srinivasan Iyer

Three years since formation, Sohar Aluminium is gearing up towards clanking out its first metal – production is due to start mid-2008. Its headquarters, currently at Al Harthy Complex, Qurm, will soon move to Sohar, with all operations and decisions to be taken at the port city. Meanwhile, to make the move from Muscat to Sohar as smooth as possible for its employees, the company has put in place, among other initiatives, a special team dedicated to coordinating the shifting.

Says Michel Huot, general manager, operations, Sohar Aluminium, "There is a sequence of events that leads to first production. Some of the expatriates have already begun moving to Sohar to conduct pre-operation testing of equipment and to initiate and train Omani employees. Currently, there are nearly 200 employees in Muscat and about 100 in Sohar. Omani employees, who hail from Sohar and the Al Batinah region, and who are currently in Muscat, are eager to commence work in Sohar. The feedback on the move has been positive."

On employee concerns about moving to the quiet town, Michel says, "During the recruitment process, candidates were told that they would be living and working in Sohar. We conducted personal interviews with expatriates, and also included a day trip to the city. Besides, given the nature of aluminium smelters the world over, most people in this industry are used to living in small towns and communities."

However, anxieties remain. Some worry about finding good schools for their children and medical facilities, others wonder about entertainment avenues and social activities. To address these issues, the team has compiled a comprehensive checklist that takes everything into account. Indian and Western employees with families will move at different times of the year, corresponding to commencement dates of the respective schools.

Sohar Aluminium has also donated a large amount towards the establishment of the Al Batinah International School (ABIS), which will be operated by International School Services, a non-profit organisation. For the academic year 2007-8, the school will function from a villa, and by early next year, a dedicated school facility will be ready that will accommodate up to 260 students, from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Spouses of employees have not been forgotten. The company is organising a series of networking events with NGOs like Dar al Atta, Early Intervention Society, the Omani Women's Association, the Sidab Women's Sewing Group, the National Association for Cancer Awareness and Al Noor Association for the Blind, to name a few. The American Women's Group and the Women's Guild, Book Club, Muscat Mums, SAGO and the Muscat Quilt Guild have also been roped in. "The wives and partners have a lot to choose from," says Prue Drever, head of communications, Sohar Aluminium. "Once they start networking, it will be a lot easier for them."

The company has also published a book containing information on the Batinah region and neighbouring towns, as well as telephone numbers of hospitals, schools, hotels, NGOs, banks, supermarkets, restaurants and other places. According to Huot, Sohar is the place to be in. "The attitude of a young Omani recruit who was asked why she wanted to work in Sohar, sums it up: 'Sohar may be a small town today, but it will soon grow into a bustling metropolis with plenty of opportunities'."