What is Oman really good at?

Eid Mubarak everyone. The Government declared a 9 day national holiday for Eid, and it's great. The bars are open again, I can eat out at my favorite places and eat pork and consume alcohol for lunch without having to check into an excellent local hotel, smoke in public, .... etc.

Eid for most Omanis is well described at Dhofari Gucci.


Photo: An Aussie Businessman


Meanwhile, I was pondering the natural advantages Oman has (and hasn't). For example, in Australia, there is a huge surfing and beach culture, so they also are home to many top businesses serving surfers - clothes, boards, etc.

Same for say, skiing in the Alps of Europe. Again, these countries host locally major international winter sporting goods manufacturers, export ski and snowboard instructors, host resorts.

So, what is Oman good at? Where is our local equivalent of Billabong or Atomic? What's our Ricardian natural advantage? How can Oman compete with countries like Vietnam, despite having a population with, shall we say, a totally different work ethic?

- Fishing?




It should be. The fishing used to be AMAZING in Oman. Of late one hears tales from Expat and Omani alike of a dearth of good big fish, excepting the offshore Dhofar perhaps. But shouldn't we be manufacturing really good fishing gear? Running more fishing oriented tourism? Exporting talent, in the way of Arabic speaking Captains for the (much bigger) Red Sea or Mediterranean markets? Processing fish properly here to export direct to prime markets like Japan, USA and China? Are we even properly running our fisheries? Are we world experts on running a fishery? Marine Biology?

- Trauma care.
This is a no brainer, definitely.



Oman has one of the world's highest rates of death and injury on the roads. We should have a specialist Trauma and Emergency Surgery Teaching hospital here. ET and Military surgeons from all over the world could train here. We can export trained expert Omani Doctors and Nurses (again, who speak Arabic and English). At the rate we seem to be going, there is no danger of running out of stupid Omani boys in really fast cars who don't know how to drive responsibly and safely. Already, Koula Hospital is world famous for having lots of fantastic wet work and gets a lot of visiting surgeons.

We could be developing medical equipment, treatment, etc.

- Um
What else? Goats and dates, obviously. I've commented on the business opportunities for dates previously. The opportunities are not huge, but hey, people need cereal.

- Oh, Sand and surf, obviously.
Hence OMRAAN, Blue City, the Wave, BAJ, Asian Games, etc, etc, etc. If only the people building these Hotel and Tourism developments, and working there and living in them, were Omanis. We would also need to be exporting trained F&B and Tourism staff, not importing them.

- Sailing?
But then why drop the ball on the America's Cup, have few good marinas, and hardly support the local sailors? How many of our victorious crews in Catamaran sailing are Omani? Could Oman become a 'New Zealand of the Middle East' for Sailing? Maybe. But not the way its going. Again, can you really forsee Omanis building world class racing boats, or tourist craft? Heck, even our local fishing boats are imported from the UAE. Pathetic.

Then, I started to run out of ideas. There's lots of things we know we aren't good at, [Education, Media, growing food, ...] - I think we import waaaaay too much, of everything. But I'm not talking about basic import substitution (although I think we need to do a hell of a lot more of that too).

Where is that expertise, the professionalism? A thing where people all over the world, people with money, would eventually say,

"Oh, look at that, Omani. Excellent choice. That is really good shit. "

Perhaps a School of Government, like the ones in New York, France and UK?


Readers? Any thoughts?

Blue City - Dragon Consulting offers a solution... How about Pink City?

Great Article in this weeks Economist about the way Argentina are grabbing the so-called pink tourist dollar.

I have a business suggestion in these tough times for local real estate developments. Pick one, just one, of the many beach developments going up in Oman right now, and unofficially/officially we make it, shall we say, european-metro-sexual friendly. IE Gay. Put it in Mussandam if you prefer.

Don't talk about it, ever. Heck, we control the media anyway! There'll be no need for anyone who doesn't want to know about it, to know about it, so just do it. Really, take this great opportunity to establish the best 'San Fransisco of the whole Middle East' this side of Cairo.





These guys (and gals) spend like crazy, are very well behaved generally, and usually don't have kids! They work. They're creative. They paaaarty. And, the best bit, is that the whole 'base load' can come from the GCC. Think New Orleans, think Amsterdam, think Sydney. All the great cities of the world have a vibrant gay section. The pink GCC dhiram is a very significant market. Go for it Oman. Its your country. Why the hell not?

Call it, Artistic City, if you must. Get a Cirque du Soleil (sp?) franchise, do art, design, architecture, ... come on, you get the idea!

Attract the brightest, the smartest, the richest, the most fun and dynamic people in the whole region who happen to be gay, and create something awesome. Get work done. Be tolerant. Be open minded. Be smart. Grasp the future before the rest of this region and the wealth and influence you will wield will astonish you.

Perhaps other contributors would be willing to contribute design and advertising ideas.

Argentina
Going pinker on the Plata
A new destination for gay tourists

Dec 4th 2008 | BUENOS AIRES The Economist print edition
AFP

It takes two men to tango
“FIRST you step, then you change direction. Don’t try to do both at the same time!” implores the instructor at La Marshall, a tango school in a sparsely decorated apartment in the centre of Buenos Aires. But one couple is having trouble taking any steps at all. A paunchy, middle-aged man with a shaved head awkwardly holds his partner—a much younger, thin, dark-skinned man from Australia—while attempting to shepherd him across the floor. Finally, after a few missteps, they decide to switch roles, with the slimmer man taking charge and deftly piloting his partner.

La Marshall, a predominantly same-sex venue, is one of many specialised attractions Buenos Aires offers gay tourists, who have flocked there since Argentina’s 2002 currency devaluation made it one of the world’s most affordable destinations. Tourism officials reckon that at least a fifth of foreign visitors to the city are homosexuals.

In recent years, Buenos Aires has hosted a gay tourism symposium, a gay football tournament, a gay film festival and the first gay cruise in South American waters; it is now home to a gay hotel, a gay bookstore, and a network of stores providing discounts to customers wielding a “gay-friendly Buenos Aires” card. The influx of so-called “pink money” has become a pillar of the city’s economy. Gay tourists, most of whom are affluent and childless, spend on average around $250 a day on top of their hotel bill.

The city’s combination of European architectural elegance and Latin American flair at knock-down prices has attracted tourists of all sexual orientations. But unlike many other Latin American cities, Buenos Aires has established a reputation as being open and tolerant in a region where homophobia remains prevalent. It has been a regional leader in expanding gay rights.

The city council has approved a law authorising same-sex civil unions, and taken other measures that provide for benefits to pass to surviving partners in such unions and to require hospitals to refer to transgender patients by their chosen rather than legal names. And its array of gay-themed or gay-friendly venues comfortably eclipses the offerings in other Latin American capitals. “How many gay discos are there in Ecuador?” asks Alfredo Ferreyra of Buegay, a tour company. “Here, we speak the same language as our clients.”

Some complain that the gay scene in Buenos Aires has become too mainstream. They question how deep the tolerance goes. “I don’t know how people would react if you walk too close together with your partner or hold hands on the street,” says Urs Jenni, a Swiss guest at the Axel, a “heterofriendly” gay hotel where rooms cost up to $500 a night. The only notably gay element in its futuristic lobby is the silhouette of a man’s torso imprinted on a glass barrier.

Others worry that homosexual tourists are no better shielded from the world financial crisis than anyone else. “At this time of year, we had 120 to 150 people a night,” says Roxana Gargano, the organiser of La Marshall. “Now we’re down to around 80. It’s hit us pretty hard.”

Business Opportunities in Oman

Business Opportunities in Oman

OK you entrepreneurs. Here is the first set (of hopefully many) good business opportunities for Omani, courtesy of Dragon Consulting.

Fancy Water.
There is a market for Omani water in a fancy (Bombay Sapphire blue seems fashionable) glass bottles, for both tourists, snobs and the Chedi [refer recent post of Suburban]. In addition, make a sparkling version too please, by simply injecting it with CO2. Your only competition is high priced Pelligrino and Perrier.

Salad greens
so called spring salad mix aka mesclun mix aka field greens aka spring mix. Did you know that Oman is importing (airflown) fancy baby salad greens all the way from France, Australia and California? It retails at more than 4 rials/400g bag, and still the expats fight for it. This stuff must grow like wildfire here with a bit of decent hydroponics. But note, it's got to be triple washed, nicely packaged (probably with a nitrogen fill) and actual baby greens, not the monster rocket (aka arugula) we normally get locally. Commercial mixes usually include arugula, mizuna, tat soi, frisee, oakleaf, red chard, radicchio, mustard greens, and radicchio. See here for a how to on spring mix.

A Casino.
Really. I know, traditionally seen as somewhat Haram, but hey, just ban Omani Muslims! But, remember one thing Dubai doesn’t have (yet?) is a casino. Tourists love casinos. Hey, we all do. And they are a licence to print money. Maybe site the thing in Buraimi or even better Mahdah (that little piece of Oman in the UAE, between Musandam and main Oman). Not only will you get tourists from UAE and Oman, but think of money you can take off the Saudi, Kuwaiti and UAE Princes and Sheikhs! Serve lots of booze, and never close 24/7.

Hops
There is a world shortage of good hops. Prices are now around $50 a kilo. It should grow well with sun and irrigation, and would make a good export. See here. Do a deal with a big regional brewer for support and long term contracts.

Which leads us to...
A brewery
Oman imports a lot of beer. It’s about time there was a local brew, using the fantastic water and the local hops (see above). It could be exported to the UAE and Bahrain etc, as well as sold alongside the imports here (especially if there was a bit of a tax discount). It could also be easily smuggled across into Saudi for a healthy profit.

Date Liquor
The tourists would buy it in half bottles as a present for the folks back home. Yum.

Go Oman!