Nasima Al Balushi is Ithraa’s Director General for Export Development. She talked to us about the challenges of going global, whether exporters are more successful than non-exporters, trade missions, the importance of digital marketing and her top 10 reasons to start exporting.

From the urgent requirement to adapt to new digital technologies, and the lack of communication between disparate systems; to money and time lost through ineffective processes, and the need to make the best use of big data, 2018 has proved a challenging but exciting year for SME and Enterprise brands alike.

We caught up with Taleb Al Makhmari, Director General, Marketing & Media at Ithraa and organizer of Oman Export Week (OEW) scheduled to be held 2 – 6 December 2018 at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre. This is what he had to say about the five-day program, the importance of Oman’s manufacturing sector and the rise in non-oil exports.

Innovation: (noun) a new idea, device, or method; the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices or methods. Source: Merriam Webster Dictionary

There is a very old folktale that dates back to the Sassanid Empire about the Three Princes of Serendip, who travelled the world, making discoveries. These seemed to be accidental, but the discoveries were reinforced by the princes’ wisdom in recognising and taking advantage of these apparent accidents. During the 18th century the art historian and antiquarian Horace Walpole brought the word “serendipity” into the English language based on this story, in which the heroes were “always making ...

What are you trying to accomplish? Are you looking for more leads, greater brand awareness, conversions, or brand engagement? Understanding what you’re trying to actually do with your social media presence should be the first step in developing a stronger social media strategy

I’m originally a product designer who majored in lampshades and bicycle stands. I started my early career in Government 10 years ago designing digital learner journeys for young people to improve their access to build their skills and careers and researching the link between public service delivery and policy. This was a very unusual career move for someone from a creative industries background, at the time there was little discourse on design as a serious proposition for public sector innovati...

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.