AmCham Oman News

Here you can browse past AmCham Oman events and recent news. Members, please contact us to share your own company promotions and news, as we love to highlight what our members are doing.

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Last week the Oman American Business Center partnered with our Premium Member CMS to offer a first-of-its-kind seminar on using Blockchain Technology to protect Intellectual Property. Together with Silverline Consultancy, CMS spoke about the importance of properly protecting intellectual property. They also shared several local and global case studies that demonstrated the financial loss a business can experience when they don’t properly protect their IP. Silverline Consultancy facilitated a fantastic session on blockchain technology and demonstrated how easy and cost effective it is to protect your ideas and intellectual property from as early as the initial conception.

 

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The seminar was very well received by our members and created quite a robust Q&A time, followed by an engaging networking session. We’d like to thank all of our members that were able to attend as well as CMS and Silverline for leading such an informative seminar.

 

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As the official affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Oman (AmCham Oman), the OABC promotes understanding, partnerships & other matters of mutual economic interest between business communities in Oman and the United States. Formed in 2003, the OABC’s mission is to foster the development of commercial activity between Oman and the United States. With more than 30 events annually and over 160 member companies, OABC is Oman’s most active business center and networking group.

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On Wednesday, September 14, 2022 Oman American Business Center premium members were
invited to a special reception at the residence of H.E. Leslie M. Tsou, U.S. Ambassador to Oman. The guest of honor was Mr. Thomas Bruns, Regional Senior Commercial Officer for the Gulf, and Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in the UAE. Throughout the evening our members had meaningful discussions with the Ambassador, Mr. Bruns and other U.S. government representatives on strengthening the bilateral trade relationship between the United States and Oman.

 

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As the official affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce in Oman (AmCham Oman), the OABC promotes understanding, partnerships & other matters of mutual economic interest between business communities in Oman and the United States. Formed in 2003, the OABC’s mission is to foster the development of commercial activity between Oman and the United States. With 30 events annually and over 180 member companies, OABC is Oman’s most active business council and networking group. The Oman American Business Center (OABC) is best known for hosting high-level professional networking events and informational sessions for professionals across the Sultanate.

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On August 28, 2022 the Oman American Business Center (AmCham Oman) held a welcome reception for their new Chief Executive Officer, Heather Redling. The event was hosted by the U.S. Embassy Muscat’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Jay Munir.

A buzz of excitement was in the air as OABC members representing over 50 companies networked and reconnected after the summer holidays. Ali Daud, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the OABC provided opening remarks highlighting the strong, fruitful relationship between the U.S. Embassy and the OABC before introducing Heather. In her speech, the new CEO focused on the power of the organization’s members in making the OABC, the best business networking group in Oman. Heather also spoke to maximizing the newly formed partnerships with AmCham MENA and AmCham GCC and new initiatives to increase commercial activity between the United States and Oman.

 

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The event was catered by Cowboy Steakhouse and members enjoyed delicious American prime cuts of meat that were being grilled on site. The Cowboy’s team brought their fun cowboy vibe to the event, including their “fire show” to everyone’s delight. The evening was also supported by OUA and their new General Manager, Michael Wimmer with a generous beverage donation. And a few lucky OABC members won fantastic raffle prizes donated by Dusitd2 Naseem Resort, Jabal Akhdar and Cowboy Steakhouse.

 

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As the official affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Oman (AmCham Oman), the OABC promotes understanding, partnerships & other matters of mutual economic interest between business communities in Oman and the United States. Formed in 2003, the OABC’s mission is to foster the development of commercial activity between Oman and the United States. With more than 30 events annually and over 160 member companies, OABC is Oman’s most active business center and networking group.

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The GCC’S American Chambers of Commerce (AmCham) Officially signed an MOU amongst themselves that signifies unity across borders in upcoming events and collaborations.

AmCham strives to discuss and pursue common commercial interests and maintain relations with
commerce and other commercial organizations. AmCham Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Oman and Qatar are committed to coming together and hosting events and initiatives as a consortium within the GCC, for the purpose of ensuring collaboration and building strong relationships amongst their members.

After two years of countrywide shutdowns due to the 2020 pandemic, there is no better time for this
announcement. Mere months before the FIFA World Cup, AmChams across the GCC continue supporting their members by hosting events and initiatives together for the benefit of their members and friends. If you are not a member of your local AmCham, it is not too late to take part in these upcoming awe-inspiring events. Contact your local American Chamber of Commerce today.

“The only thing better than being part of an AmCham as a member company, is being part of an AmCham network like this one, that connects companies regionally in a personal, professional way,” says Rebecca Olson, Executive Director of the OABC. “Our members in Oman can connect with companies all over the region through their membership, and our staff teams can share best practices and methods together, or lead joint regional events to the benefit of all our members. It’s a win-win-win and we’re so excited to formalize what has already been an incredibly beneficial relationship with our regional counterparts.”

Click here to see the full article.

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On June 15, 2022, Oman American Business Center (AmCham Oman) hosted its last networking event of the spring season at Sama Terraza on the Park Inn by Radisson Rooftop for members of the Oman business community.  At the event, held in collaboration with AmCham Dubai and FedEx Express, attendees had the opportunity to network with small and medium businesses (SMEs) and explore new business opportunities.

Sammy Bousaba, Managing Director of Middle East and Africa Sales at FedEx Express said: “Oman connects the East and West of the GCC region, and in addition to its business-friendly environment, the Sultanate has comprehensive initiatives to integrate its road, airport, and port networks. With access to our unparalleled Middle East road network and the world’s largest air express network, FedEx Express connects Oman to more than 220 countries and territories around the world.”

“We are committed to supporting small and medium businesses in Oman by providing them with the right resources, digital tools, and infrastructure that are crucial for their growth. Now more than ever, businesses can benefit from opportunities in global markets, and through our alliance with AmCham, we look forward to providing SMEs with our expertise to support their growth across the region and beyond,” added Sammy.

“FedEx Express connects people and possibilities,” says Fouad Eid, Vice President of the OABC.  “That is exactly what tonight’s event was all about.  Thank you to FedEx Express for the generous sponsorship and the opportunity to work together. We are also proud to partner with AmCham Dubai for our first co-hosted event in Oman, to present an evening of new relationships and opportunities for OABC’s vibrant networking community.”

“As the newly appointed Vice-Chair of AmCham MENA, AmCham Dubai hopes to continue this outreach to our GCC neighbors by providing connections to power global access. Creating these relationships helps us to foster trade and goodwill from the USA to the Middle East, we thank the Oman American Business Council for hosting this fantastic event said Cara Nazari, Managing Director, AmCham Dubai.

As the official affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce in Oman (AmCham Oman), the OABC promotes understanding, partnerships and other matters of mutual economic interest between business communities in Oman and the United States.

Formed in 2003, the OABC’s mission is to foster the development of commercial activity between Oman and the United States.  With 30 events annually and over 170 member companies, OABC is Oman’s most active business council and networking group. The Oman American Business Center (OABC) is best known for hosting high-level professional networking events and informational sessions for professionals across the Sultanate.

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The AmCham MENA Regional Council is proud to announce the joining of the Oman American Business Center (AmCham Oman) as a new member organization, adding over 150 new member companies to the Council’s Membership, representing different sectors around the region.

The Oman American Business Center (OABC), also known as AmCham Oman was founded in 2003 to foster the development of commercial activity between Oman and the United States, and to support the Oman business community through programs and events focused on professional development, thought leadership, and high-level networking.

As the official affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce in Oman, OABC promotes understanding, partnerships, and other matters of mutual economic interest between business communities in Oman and the United States.  AmCham Oman hosts about 30 events annually and is considered to be Oman’s most active business networking group.

“Joining the regional Council of MENA American Chambers of Commerce is a natural step for AmCham Oman (OABC) to take as we continue serving our growing membership of companies in Oman.” says Ali Daud, President and Chairman Emiritus of OABC.  “This opportunity to be part of the MENA Council will provide strong connections in the region and support OABC’s mission of facilitating trade and commercial relations between Oman and the United States.”

In welcoming AmCham Oman to the AmCham MENA Council, AmCham MENA Council Chairman, and President of AmCham Egypt, Tarek Tawfik commented; “We are honored to have AmCham Oman join the regional family of the MENA Council. With the addition of AmCham Oman, AmCham MENA welcomes its 11th member country. Oman is an important country to the region and to the United States. Trade between Oman and the United States reached more than four billion dollars in 2021. With AmCham Oman, the AmCham MENA regional council will continue working on advancing interregional cooperation and promoting trade and investment between the United States and other countries of the Region”.

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On May 23rd, in partnership with OABC Corporate Member OITE, members attended a special networking event at COMEX. During the event, members had the opportunity to meet company representatives from different companies participating in Oman’s largest and longest-running technology conference and exhibition.
We were also honored to welcome Haider Adnan Al-Zaabi from Mays EV — designer and founder of the first Omani electric vehicle company, to speak. Amr Babood, the organizer of the event, also shared remarks and led a tour to go check out the MAYS model car.
It was a very interesting event full of new connections. Thank you OITE for your support.
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On May 15, the OABC welcomed Pete Mehravari, U.S. Intellectual Property Attaché for the MENA region. The event included a conversation about IP opportunities and challenges. Members of the OABC shared their own experiences. They also learned about Pete’s work as an IP attaché and received updates on what he’s seeing lately in the region.
We would like to thank Pete and the members of the OABC for the much-needed informative conversation.
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On February 15, the GCC AmChams organized a live webinar “Annual Expat Tax Update for Americans living abroad”, presented by Expat Global Tax​.

Discussion topics:

  • US taxation overview (for expats)
  • Foreign earned income exclusion
  • Foreign Bank Account Reporting (FBAR) & FATCA Filings
  • Foreign investment accounts (including foreign retirement accounts)
  • State tax residency and tax filing
  • Filing requirements with Business ownership abroad
  • Filing options for delinquent tax filer
  • 2021 tax filing key updates
  • Q&A session

Presenters:

Affan Khadir, EA

US Expat, Senior Tax Manager, Expat Global Tax

Qualified US tax practitioner with over 15 years experience in the area of US Expat Taxation

Mohammad A K Khan, CPA

Senior US Expat Tax Advisor, Expat Global Tax

Qualified US CPA with over 13 years experience in the area of US Expat Taxation

Click here for the Expat Global Tax – US Expat Tax Firm (service offering)

 

Access Webinar Recording here.