[oman-l] Oman's economic future
Tommy Erik Back
laaiq@bluewin.ch
Tue, 16 Jun 1998 23:45:28 +0200
Hi Kevin,
Dubais economy is not necessary the choice for Oman.
For me Dubai it's a fast living city, filled of expats, business booming,
locals spending their time in the cafes. Russian
prostitutes in every street corner. I don't know when you were last in
Dubai, but it has changed considerably the last ten years.
I find it weird with a city where more than 80% of the population
are foreign workers? It's a great place to make some quick bucks if you're
into that, but somehow I believe that the Omani government has higher
aspirations.
Other governments in the region are looking at Oman how they solve problems.
When Saudi Arabia set up
a stock market they were praising the Omani one and studied it thorowly
before they entered.
There's a significant difference between Oman and UAE: MONEY. Omans revenues
in oil is just a fraction of what's coming in to Abu Dhabi. So of course UAE
has a lot more to kick around and can afford to create such an excellent
airline as Emirates. Look at the infra structure, which in Oman is as
advanced as in UAE in spite of much lower gas & oil income. The money
goes where it should (to a much higher degree that is), instead of building
new islands.......
I wonder if the old grandma and grandpa in Dubai are looking at their new
city as something remarkable? Anyhow, personally I hope that Muscat will
never reach that state.
Omanis are for keeping their olod tradition in a modern new state. They are
very environmently aware. You will see that Omani architecture are well
mixing into the surroundings, quite a contrast from Dubai. And that's how
they would like to keep it.
I agree with your comments about Internet, but....you're forgetting that
Oman has still a living countryside, and they have no ambition to try to
force their people into the cities. They are still, working on
electricity and telephone connection for the villages which is not as easy
in a vast country like Oman in comparison to the towns of UAE, and they
don't have the same oil income for that purpose.
I doubt the Omanis want to have the kind of tourism you can find in Dubai.
Tourism in Dubai hasn't brought much good IMO: Half naked people walking in
the Souq, prostitutes in every little hotel
etcetera. Omanis have tourism, but another kind. That's how they want to
keep it. They don't want their country invaded by mass tourism. In Oman they
know what ecology is, and they promote it. I don't understand what progress
you see in the Dubai example? Omanis value their country, they're looking
after it, and they want to preserve it together with education and a descent
standard of living for the people and not for hordes of invaded foreign
workers.
There are still too many foreign workers in Oman OK, but the important thing
is
that the Omanis are actively working on reducing that work force. We know
that is a tough task which has been described by Abdullah I think.
Tommy
>Hi,
>
>Sadly, I believe that economic success ( with the emergence of the
Internet ) will
>be based upon speed of reaction, coupled with desire to succeed, as well as
hard
>work.
>
>I have lived in Dubai, and been to Oman .....
>
>From the perspective of the Internet, where the capital costs are quite
low, Oman
>scores much lower than Dubai or even any other Arab country except perhaps
Iraq.
>
>Look at registered local Domain Names ( ie .ae and .om ) and Web Sites.
>
>Oman gas very few locally registered domain names. It seems that the
Internet and IT
>related industries are a good way top bolster the economy. Can the Omani
government
>see that? It is not too late. The UAE sees the Internet as value, but still
does NOT
>understand the proper way to USE the Internet.
>
>The US growth is really powered by IT and Services and the Internet.
>
>The attraction of Internet related business is that it CAN be done locally
for a
>Global Market, and can allow retention of local values. Where is the
access for
>every school child to the Internet in Oman? Where is the plan? Where are
the Arabic
>Web sites? Where are the Omani Web Sites?
>
>Tourism should be a growing business in Oman ( I certainly liked going to
Oman, and
>desire to go again ) but there is no Global push to attract visitors to
Oman. The
>fact is that there is a huge asset in the simple "niceness" of the Omanis,
relative
>to the abrupt culture of , say Kuwait. Who promotes and sells this "asset"?
We did
>the Dubai Promotion board site 2.5 years ago (www.dctpb.gov.ae). Does Oman
have a
>Promotion site that is doing the same thing? Dubai gets about a thousand
net
>visitors a day from this site, and there are many other popular UAE Web
sites, so I
>would say that whatever you need to find re Dubai is in the Net now,
somewhere.
>
>Also we have seen that Dubai has been successful because of the forward
thinking of
>their organisations. For example when people arrive at www.uae-pages.com,
they were
>searching for Emirates Airline. This and the word "Dubai" are the most
popular
>search string that this site has. Oman? Nothing......Emirates Airlines
Airline of
>the Year ) The Victory team, the Hobie world sailing Championship, etc etc.
>Promotion.
>
>The fact is that Dubai knows it needs the Net, but can't quite "get it" is
enough to
>leave a window for Omani people who care to grasp the opportunity. I think
there is
>18 months before the battle lines are too firm to breach.
>
>Oil? Forget it, they need to build some other way to economic growth.
>
>Look at Ireland, where again I have lived. Their growth is based upon using
the
>assets of their people and education to attract other companies to gain a
toe hold
>in the European market. Dubai understands this. ( Jebel Ali etc )
>
>Education is not enough, Oman needs the RIGHT education.
>
>Is there anyone from the Omani government on this list? Any input from thei
r
>perspective?
>
>What do the Omani people want. After all, since I work with the Internet,
I see the
>Internet as a solution to many things, but I admit my bias.
>
>Industry need large Capital, and cheap and steady labor force. The Net
needs smart
>and savvy people who are nice and "get it"
>
>
>
>
>Kevin
>
>
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