Across the manufacturing world, there is much talk of us being in the middle of a ‘new industrial revolution’. We have already had three of these revolutions: the first used steam power to move us beyond human and animal power for making and moving things; the second delivered production at a mass scale; and the third brought computing and robotic capabilities to enhance production. The fourth revolution offers the promise of multiple benefits from digital connectivity throughout all our chain...

Exports matter because they represent the very sectors that drive wealth, attract investment and talent, boost productivity and innovation, and generate employment. Industry accounted for 47.6% of Oman’s GDP in 2017 and our non-oil exports were over US$6.2 billion. Today, Omani firms are exporting to over 135 countries.

In the 21st Century, we’ve gone from connected to inter-connected to inter-dependent. Whether you work in government or business, we’re rising and falling together. It’s no longer what you do but how you do what you do that matters most. We’re talking work ethic, professionalism, productivity, national competitiveness.

Consumers and businesses around the world turn to reports for information on many of the goods and services they buy and produce. Likewise, investors turn to reports that evaluate how cities and countries perform. London’s Monocle magazine rates the best city to live in. New York’s Fortune magazine rates the best cities for commerce and the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Competitive Index Report rates the competitiveness of nations.

Creating a strong brand in today’s global and digital economy is becoming increasingly difficult. Just think about it, Joe Consumer is being bombarded with marketing messages from every angle, every waking hour of every day. Whether it’s TV, highway billboards, radio, newspapers, magazines, or WhatsApp messages offering deals on Japanese four-wheel drives. All of this noise is really confusing and as Joe Consumer tries to interpret what he’s being fed; he’s become ever-more sceptical. In sho...

In today’s congested business world, packaging has become a critical factor; it can often make or break a product. If the packaging is right, people will buy a product without even trying it because most associate superior packaging with quality.

We often hear the words brand and branding thrown around liberally by all sorts of people in different contexts and with different meanings in mind, so it may help to start by asking: what exactly is a brand? The simplest answer is it’s a set of associations people make with a company, product, service, individual or organization. In brief, it’s what they say about you when you’re not in the room.

No other business spans countries and cultures quite like the tourism and hospitality industry. It is the largest employer in the world. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), tells us that in 2015 the industry generated 9.8% of world GDP. It supports a workforce of 284 million people which means that one job in eleven is in tourism and hospitality.