Islamic Finance Archives

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Oman wants to increase success rate of SMEs

International Finance DeskSeptember 15, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 15, 2015

Over 50% fail within five years, which is a drag on efforts by the Gulf nation to diversify its oil & gas based economy IFM Correspondent September 15, 2015: The two-day Oman SME Summit in Muscat got off to a rousing start with a welcome speech and special address by His Highness Al Sayyid Dr. Adham...

Business Leaders

Taking Omani tradition to the world

International Finance DeskSeptember 11, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 11, 2015

Al-Jabri sisters use their creativity to turn dates into a must-have item IFM Correspondent September 11, 2015: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. This quote by Mahatma Gandhi is something that inspires Al-Jabri sisters Shatha and Wafa, founders of Meshan Dates and Sweets in Oman. Their...

Business Leaders

Motivated by failure

International Finance DeskSeptember 10, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 10, 2015

Ali Al Khalili, an entrepreneur, feels Oman should trim bureaucratic procedures for startups IFM Correspondent September 10, 2015: Try and try till you succeed. Ali Al Khalili swears by the saying and the journey of his life is testament to this. Having tried his hands in the import and export industry, construction and building industry,...

Business Leaders

‘Basmati has gone beyond NRIs’

International Finance DeskSeptember 9, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 9, 2015

Amira Group Chairman Karan A Chanana says the rice being embraced by more mainstream consumers in developed markets Suparna Goswami Bhattacharya Karan A Chanana is the fourth generation custodian of his family business, which constitutes the Amira Group. He has transferred the group into a professional business with a turnover of $550 million. Excerpts from...

Fintech

ONPEX enters Brazil and the South American market

International Finance DeskSeptember 8, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 8, 2015

Gets into partnership with EBANX, a financial services company September 8, 2015: ONPEX, The online payment exchange, has announced a new partnership with EBANX, an integrated international financial services company dedicated to provide ecommerce payment solutions in Brazil. Latin America is the second fastest-growing ecommerce market in the world – only trailing behind China. And,...

Economy

From ‘Made in China’ to ‘Innovate in China’

International Finance DeskSeptember 8, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 8, 2015

Huge capital and investment power will make the country a force to reckon with Suparna Goswami Bhattacharya September 8, 2015: In the West, people often opine that Chinese are not innovators but just copiers who can make a product at a cheaper rate. If somebody mentions inventions, like gunpowder and printing press which were invented...

Economy

Asia’s SMEs need capital to be competitive

International Finance DeskSeptember 8, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 8, 2015

Despite having millions of SMEs, only a few are able to grow where they can innovate September 8, 2015: Asia’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need finance to help them grow into dynamic, internationally competitive companies. This is key to strong, sustainable growth in Asia as the world recovers from the recent global economic slowdown, says...

Finance Wealth Management

Life insurance not on the priority list of Americans

International Finance DeskSeptember 3, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 3, 2015

Only 51% Americans own life insurance September 3, 2015: Only 51% of Americans own life insurance, and a primary reason is that it’s a product that remains highly misunderstood. This is the latest finding from Northwestern Mutual’s 2015 Planning & Progress Study. This annual study exploring Americans’ attitude and behaviour towards finances and planning reveals that one of...

Economy

‘Ecosystem for SMEs in Oman is still nascent’

International Finance DeskSeptember 2, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 2, 2015

Adham Al Said spoke to IFM about the initiatives taken by His Majesty and challenges ahead IFM Correspondent September 2, 2015 SMEs play a major role in any economy. How is it in Oman? Recent reports and studies have suggested that SMEs form approximate 90% of active businesses. Their contribution to GDP is estimated to...

Economy

‘Salary is not the only criteria to attract top talent’

International Finance DeskSeptember 1, 2015

by International Finance DeskSeptember 1, 2015

Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com says SMEs in the GCC can compete with larger MNCs IFM Correspondent September 1, 2015 With MNCs spreading their wings, are local SMEs losing potentially good employees to these bigger companies? The state of talent in SMEs in Oman is positive. After all, Oman attracts top talent from all...