BiZQ - SBF Download Area - Singapore Business Federation

Apr•May•Jun 201236International MarketsGetty ImagesOman-third countrycollaborations. Withits partner, the OmanChamber of Commerceand Industry, it set upthe Singapore-OmanBusiness Council (SOBC)as a B2B platform topromote commercialactivities betweenthe private sectors ofSingapore and Oman.In addition, SBForganised a successfulfive-day business missionto Oman last May ledby Ambassador ShabbirHassanbhai, Co-chair ofthe SOBC and CouncilMember of SBF.The Singaporedelegation comprised18 delegates from 16organisations andcompanies from theoil and gas, marine andshipping, engineering,consumer goods as well asconsulting services sectors.The delegates attendedbriefings by the OmaniPublic Authority forInvestment Promotion andExport Development andother state agencies, aswell as visits to the portcities of Sohar and Salalah.Mr Hassanbhai noted:“The country is intensifyingthe development ofits private sector. ForSingapore companies,in particular SMEs,this translates into afriendly pro-investmentenvironment, especiallyin the areas of tourism,capacity building,healthcare, as well asinfrastructure, logistics andindustrial development.“Oman’s competitiveoperating cost structurewill also allow Singaporecompanies to positionthemselves to tap intothe wider markets ofthe GCC and Africa, aswell as cater to thefast-growing and affluentmiddle class’ demand forconsumer goods.” •Muscat, the capitalof Oman – a countrywith an economydominated bytrade, petroleumand porting.Joint effortsSBF and the OmanChamber of Commerce andIndustry jointly set up theSingapore-OmanBusiness Council(SOBC)as a B2B platform ofexchange between theprivate sectors ofSingapore and Oman.It was formed duringPresident SR Nathan’sstate visit to Oman inMarch 2009.The SOBC is led by itsco-chairs – Mr ShabbirHassanbhai, Ambassadorand SBF Council Member;and Mr Saud Al Nahari,CEO of Port ServicesCorporation SAOG.STEELINGAGAINSTTHE ODDSBH Global Marine hasopened a newgalvanised steel wireplant based in Oman.The 970,000 sq ftmanufacturingplant is part of GulfSpecialty Steel Industries– a joint venture betweenthe company’ssubsidiary Global SteelIndustries and TakamulInvestment Co.In the first phase ofproduction, the factorycan produce 50,000tonnes of galvanisedsteel wire annually. In thesecond phase, BH Globalplans to ramp this up to200,000 tonnes a year.Water desalination projectsTwo Singapore companies,Sembcorp Utilities andHyflux, are reportedlyvying to build Oman’slatest desalination plant,the $500 million Ghubrahindependent waterproject (IWP).The firms are among16 other companies whoare contending for thelicence to develop, own,finance and operatethe gas-fired, wateronlyproject, whichwill produce 42 milliongallons of water daily.The Ghubrah projectwill also be the secondIWP to be developed inthe country.Last July, Sembcorpcompleted the firstphase of the Salalahindependent water andpower project on schedule,enabling it to despatch aninitial 61MW of electricityto the power grid there.The Salalah projectis expected to begin fulloperations in the firsthalf of this year, andwill produce 445MWof power and 15 milliongallons of water dailyfrom the desalinationportion of the project.Sembcorp Presidentand CEO Tang Kin Feireportedly said that thegroup managed to meetthe tight first-phaseschedule in time to caterto the surge in powerdemand in Dhofar. Thecompany is confident ofcompleting the entireproject ahead of schedulein April this year.