Ahmed Suhail Bahwan
Managing director
Suhail Bahwan Group

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Ahmed Suhail Bahwan deserves special mention for bringing in super luxury marque Rolls-Royce to the country. It was a win-win deal for both companies that lifted the profile of the Suhail Bahwan Group, and provided a platform for Rolls-Royce to improve its visibility. Perhaps more interesting is the fact that he managed to convince construction-equipment major New Holland to bring all their sub-brands under a single umbrella here. Group subsidiary, International Equip-ment and Construction Company, made a US$10mn facility that meets the high and demanding standards set by the Italian principals. The group's other car brands Nissan, Infiniti, Renault, Mini and BMW have also fared impressively. BMW in particular has been a star performer, rising to second place in the automotive category in the BusinessToday 2007 Best Brands Survey.

Fact sheet: Bagged the dealerships for Rolls-Royce and New Holland

Ali al Habsi
Goalkeeper
Oman Football Team,
Bolton Wanderers

Super stopper

Oman football team captain Ali al Habsi has been making the headlines for his match-saving efforts as goalkeeper for English Premier League team Bolton Wanderers. Al Habsi, who was handed his cap against Fulham in the third round of the Carling Cup, impressed with his performance, with Bolton winning 1-0. The ace goalie did not have to wait too long before being considered in place of first choice keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup. His impressive performance saw Bolton secure a 2-2 draw. The 26-year-old was also named the 'Goalkeeper of the Tournament' at this year's Gulf Cup.

Scorecard: First Omani to play for an English football team

Mohamed Ali
Managing director
Galfar Engineering and Contracting
&
Sheikh Salim al Araimi
Chairman
Galfar Engineering and Contracting

First amongst peers

They make the cut for proving the depth of the Muscat Securities Market to naysayers. For setting record books ablaze with their initial public offering (IPO). For enriching investors beyond expectations and drawing unprecedented attention from institutional investors across the region. The Galfar IPO, which opened on August 12, 2007, was oversubscribed 14.5 times, raising US$2.26bn in its train – making it the biggest-ever sale on Oman's capital market. As the heads of the biggest construction company in the sultanate, theirs is a voice that is heard in the corridors of power. Be it any tender or contract, Galfar is counted as a strong contender and competitor. An enviable ability to win new contracts and renew existing ones over the last 35 years has made it a leader amongst peers. And with 20,000-odd people on the company's payrolls they are one of the biggest employment generators in the sultanate.

Little known fact: Galfar started with a contract to build an office for the wali of Sur in 1972

Harib al Kitani
President and CEO
Qalhat LNG

Driving excellence

Qalhat LNG beat 40-odd international energy companies to win the Petroleum Economists' Energy Company of the Year 2006 award in September 2007. It also became the first-ever Arab energy company to achieve such a recognition. Says Kitani, “It is a great honour, pride and privilege for Qalhat LNG to be among the top shortlisted energy companies and the be declared as the Energy Company of the Year.” Under his leadership the firm has expanded into new revenue-generating areas and overcome challenges to steady supply. Kitani is certainly doing his best to help Qalhat LNG live up to its vision of being 'Your partner in excellence'.

Power score: For winning the Energy Company of The Year Award

Hani Mirza
Managing director                       
Bin Mirza International
&
Jannat Shafaei
Marketing director
Bin Mirza International

Winning team

Winning accolades is nothing new for Jannat Shafaei and Hani Mirza. Their company Bin Mirza International (BMI) won the Intilaqaah competition in 2005 and Mirza made the cut in Best Entrepreneur Category at the 2006 Oman Awards for Excellence. In 2007, BMI had the distinction of bagging the first Second Cup International Franchise Partner of the year award. BMI owes its success to the couple's passion and dedication. Shafaei and Mirza are now working to bring additional brands, with Singapore-based boutique bakery BreadTalk set to open their first outlet in Muscat any time now. As they gain experience in the food and beverages industry, they plan to branch out to other countries in the region. Given what they achieved in such a short span, the world is their oyster.

Little known fact: Hani Mirza is the honorary Consul-General of Canada

Mohammed al Wohaibi
CEO
Omantel

Lord of rings

Omantel inked a deal with Pakistan's Worldcall Telecom in August 2007 to take a 60 per cent stake in the latter. Worldcall is one of the largest private telecom operators in Pakistan. The US$185.6mn deal will give Omantel a foothold in the world's third fastest growing telecom market. Wohaibi is trying to expand Omantel's presence abroad anticipating the end of the company's fixed line monopoly from 2008. The acquisition will boost Omantel’s revenues by around 25 per cent in three to five years from 2009. The markets have greeted the news enthusiastically and the sultanate's second largest company by market value is a shade more valuable after the buyout.

Short take: Took a majority stake in Pakistan's Worldcall Telecom

Salim al Ruzaiqi
CEO
Information Technology Authority

Promoting  ICT

He spearheads the sultanate's Digital Oman strategy. He is responsible for implementing the national IT infrastructure projects and providing professional leadership to various e-governance initiatives. ITA is bringing in best practices in the e-governance space. ITA has given a good account of itself under Ruzaiqi's stewardship. Sur, Buraimi, Musandam, Ibri, Salalah, Nizwa and Dakhliya have promoted the usage of ICT (information, communication, technology). The Oman Web Awards 2006 got a good response from website hosts and users. The Arab Telsat conference and Information Security seminar were other notable initiatives.

Fact sheet: Leads the e-governance initiatives in Oman

Dr K P Raman
Medical director and cardiologist
Al Hayat Polyclinic

Medicine man

Dr K P Raman, medical director and cardiologist, Al Hayat Polyclinic, sensed the potential of stem cell therapy as the future of medicine and has made plans to bring it to Oman. Al Hayat has signed a memorandum of understanding with India's Lifeline Multi Speciality Hospitals to begin stem cell therapy and research in Oman, following approval from the Ministry of Health. Lifeline's clinical trials have been encouraging. The therapy has significantly improved the condition of patients suffering from spinal injuries, heart failure and liver cirrhosis. It is also useful in the treatment of degenerative neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.

Finger on the pulse: Sensed the potential of stem cell therapy

Werner Koch
CEO
Al Hashar Group

Infusing new energy

As the CEO of Al Hashar Group of Companies, Werner Koch has infused a new energy into the group. He has addressed pressing issues, implemented HR changes to ensure a focused role for every employee, and encouraged training to maintain job satisfaction and keep motivational levels high. Says Koch, “Times are changing. What worked yesterday may not work today. While experience is a good teacher, it will be a liability unless the people gaining experience are ready to change and adapt to new situations.” The changes he has implemented have resulted in expanded business volumes and revenue growth. Koch has also been quick to spot a big business opportunity in construction equipment and machinery sector, given the current economic boom, with the dealership of South Korea's Doosan Infracore paying of handsomely.

Little known fact: Werner Koch was the general manager of BMW in Oman from 1985-90

Maqbool bin Hameed al Saleh
Chairman
OHI

Fresh beginnings

Given his drive for excellence, the year 2007 must have been a pretty fulfilling one for Maqbool bin Hameed al Saleh. The OHI group made its first foray into radio with Hala 102.7FM and Hi95.9FM. Its recently inaugurated Desert Nights camp in the Sharqiya Sands promises tourists a unique desert experience. He has also been nominated as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Middle East Entrepreneur of the Year awards 2007, a recognition of his achievements over the last three decades. A first generation entrepreneur, Saleh's success shows the power of hard work and self-confidence.

Short take: Made forays into sunrise sectors like radio and tourism

Best kept secret: He is a sports enthusiast and has played for Oman hockey team. His other interests include squash and sailing