Mohammed Alardhi is the executive chairman of Investcorp, chairman of Muscat Stock Exchange MSX and chairman of Royal Jet
February 15, 2024
Leaders and investors around the world have been looking towards the GCC and Asean nations to learn from the steady progress they have made in recent decades. Despite global economic setbacks, both groupings project positive growth and their approach can inform blueprints and frameworks for other nations to grow in the same way.
The GCC and Asean countries have formed close partnerships that are crucial to long-term socio-economic progress that emerging markets aspire to themselves. There is room for the Gulf and South-East Asian nations to collaborate further to support other nations while also diversifying their own interests.
While every region and nation has a particular range of hurdles – from political structures to business structures, education systems, industry, international relations, revenue, climate change and so on – it is never too late to start planning and seeking the expertise of countries that have overcome similar challenges.
Oman is particularly well-placed to enable allyship between the GCC, Asean members and emerging economies. Its unique approach to foreign policy promotes mutual benefit, respect and prioritises peace as well as maintaining cordial relations among all stakeholders.
First and foremost, every emerging market must conduct a thorough analysis of their education sector and work towards reform. For example, Oman’s literacy rate grew from 54.7 per cent in 1990 to an impressive 97.3 per cent in 2022 as reported by the World Bank, and there is capacity for other nations to achieve solid growth in coming decades as well.
Tourists visit a cave at Ain Razat, a water spring in Salalah, Dhofar province, Oman. Reuters
Literacy and primary schooling are a baseline. Governments must also seek support to expand higher education and skills training. With several online options available, education and training can be far more accessible for more people but barriers to technology and other resources must first be addressed.
There are innumerable case studies on expansion and development of education systems, and there are untapped opportunities for Oman and other nations within the GCC and Asean countries to partner with the right organisations and invest in education sectors to boost literacy, higher studies, skills training and employment in other countries.
Infrastructure projects in emerging countries are excellent investments that can pave the way for more innovation and revenue streams in the future. Nations in the Middle East and Asia that have developed efficient internal systems. They have acquired expertise in areas such as urban planning and transport systems and they have improved the ease of doing business. A similar trajectory can lead other nations to create and fine tune components that will support their own economies.
Over the past few decades, Oman has established itself as a premier tourist destination. It attracts visitors from all parts of the world for business and leisure. The sultanate’s strength lies in understanding a broad range of cultural, political and business landscapes. It can thus facilitate peace, good relations and catalyse initiatives that benefit all parties and lead emerging nations to build frameworks and partnerships – these are required to create flourishing tourism sectors.
The outbreak of Covid-19 reminded people of how connected the world is. We cannot deny the impact of an event such as a pandemic. It is important for nations that fared relatively well through those challenging times to look outwards and offer their resources – from business expertise to education, planning, industry know how, systemic reform plans, etc – to emerging nations, to support them and help them adapt so they too grow and fare better.
Strategic partnerships with strong global allies could be just the push the world needs to fulfil universal socio-economic goals in coming decades. I invite fellow Omani citizens, from industry leaders to the youth, to carry the tradition of entrepreneurship and alliances forward on a scale that stretches beyond national and regional borders.
There is a lot of untapped potential in terms of global partnerships. We can take the best of what the sultanate has achieved, along with the successes of other GCC member states, as well as Asean countries, and engage with them and boost nations that are facing challenges, not unlike those that Oman has faced in previous decades. The creation of industries and empowerment of citizens are no easy feats. Varied perspectives, however, and a desire to collaborate for mutual benefit can go a long way.
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
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Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
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yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
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Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany - At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people - Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed - Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest - He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
