NBC organises second social media influencers forum

Muscat: The National Business Centre (NBC), which falls under the umbrella of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), organised the 2nd Social Media Influencers Forum on Tuesday at NBC at the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM).
A number of Omani social media influencers attended the event and were acquainted with the vision of the NBC to offer promising Omani entrepreneurs a platform to develop their business ideas and advance them into growing ventures.
Briefing the audience, Mulkie Al Hashmi, Director of Marketing and Media at NBC, explained that the event aims to highlight the role played by Omani social media influencers in bringing to light various topics of concern and advantage to Omani society.
“This forum will work to underscore to society the objectives of the National Business Centre, and to promote and support small and medium enterprises incubated in the NBC, particularly the Riyada incubator, as well as SMEs in Oman in general,” said Al Hashmi.
She added that the NBC was established to offer a premier platform for Omani entrepreneurs and to help incubate companies involved in a variety of fields, including marketing, audit, energy, training, and design, among others.
The objectives of the NBC include facilitating and supporting the growth of investable ideas into successful businesses, building entrepreneurial skills through dedicated and focused training, coaching and mentoring, and providing business support facilities such as office space, administrative support, financial support, and consultancy services, which are crucial in ensuring the success and survival of new ventures.
The event also included a discussion on the impact of social media platforms in the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The session featured Muna bint Mahfudh Al Manthri, Media Adviser at the Public Authority for Radio and Television, and Engr. Al Mukhtar Al Saifi, founder and owner of Mstudio Project.
Al Manthri emphasised the importance of media in society and the major role played by media personalities in influencing the public. She added that the media in its various forms must focus on supporting SMEs and highlighting the initiatives that incubate and develop these SMEs.
Meanwhile, Al Saifi noted that social media influencers need to focus on three mainstays in their content, namely significant determination, uniqueness, and credibility. Both Al Manthri and Al Saifi highlighted the significance of marketing as a tool through media, as well as the serious role played by social media influencers in the development and promotion of SMEs.
The event also shone a spotlight on the success story of Omani entrepreneur Khalid Al Abri, the founder of Ostool Al Bon, who began his entrepreneurial journey by establishing an advertising company incubated at the NBC. He later found his passion in the coffee world and came up with the idea of Ostool Al Bon Café, which specialises in a variety of coffee types made with a high standard of excellence and great passion.