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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

PDO’s engagement with OWAs to boost women entrepreneurs

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By Kaushalendra Singh — SALALAH: April 10 - The Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) signed between Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and General Directorate of Social Development in Dhofar are set to boost women entrepreneurs in Dhofar as there has been understanding between both the parties to take care of the challenges of training, exploring market and inculcating business values among them.


“It has been noticed that the entrepreneurs come out with very good ideas but flop sometimes due to improper accounting, too many entrepreneurs doing same work and coming out with same kind of products. While new enterprises are prone to loss due to bad financial management, the duplication of work causes unnecessary competition,” said Hanan Saif al Rumhy, Social Investment Adviser at PDO, during her visit to Salalah.


“Here lies the whole idea of training and reviewing the business ideas or projects submitted by the women entrepreneurs and supporting them according to their needs and ruling out duplication of work,” she said.


The MoU, according to her, is initially covering only three Omani Women Associations in Maqshan, Thamrait and Shaleem & al Halaniyat. It will expand further to other OWAs in future.


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Commenting on the scope of three MoUs, signed by Mohammed al Mantheri, External Affairs and Communication Manager at PDO and Abdullah Sulaiman al Sabei, General Director Social Development in Dhofar, Al Rumhy said: “The PDO would evaluate the proposals submitted by the Omani Women Associations in the areas of education and awareness building, NGos capacity building to aid and assist women in the areas of programme development, fund raising, communication and networking. Thrust would be there on the use of digital media.”

As a matter of support, the associations would get RO 10,000 for the implementation of the projects. “It would target 20-25 women living in the concessional area operated by the PDO. The social development project should meet the needs of these women and support them in their personal growth to allow them to be active contributors to their communities,” she said.


Acknowledging PDO’s support al Sabei said: “PDO has been a true community development partner by supporting various social projects. The current engagement would be a real boost to Omani entrepreneurs. I thank PDO for supporting women associations and hope their generosity will continue for meaningful projects.”


An ambitious community-based vocational training initiative of the PDO, the Banat Oman aims at encouraging housewives to take up entrepreneurial jobs and making them self dependent.


Al Rumhy mentioned PDO’s previous engagement with women in Dhofar very successful through Banat Oman project, which was meant mainly for housewives.


“Through Banat Oman we engaged with housewives and offered community-based vocational training programme and encouraged them to take up entrepreneurial jobs and be self dependent. Success of Banat Oman encouraged us to engage this time with the OWAs as a community development partner,” she said.


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