HH Sayyid Bilarab bin Haitham leaves for Switzerland

Muscat: HH Sayyid Bilarab bin Haitham Al Said, Honorary President of Promising Omani Startups Programme, left here today heading for the Swiss Confederation on a visit lasting several days.

The visit embodies the depth of trade and investment relations between Oman and Switzerland. The two countries’ relations are marked by trends of cooperation and partnership developed over the ages in various business sectors.

The visit offers an opportunity to have a close look at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its affiliate institutions, notably the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC). HH Sayyid Bilarab and his accompanying delegation will develop further knowledge about the roles of those institutions and the measures of support and cooperation in their repertoire that can benefit Oman.

The visit also provides greater scopes for broader discussions with the ITC so that it could expand its cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and investment promotion on foreign trade and export issues. The ITC has a potential to consolidate Oman’s export capacity, build relevant competencies and attract more investments to various promising sectors.

During the visit, HH Sayyid Bilarab and his delegation will get in direct contact with a group of industrial companies, particularly those specialized in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries and the improvement of life quality. Partnership and investment opportunities will be discussed with some of those companies. The visit will help explore means of establishing joint projects in Oman.

In addition, the Omani delegation will study programmes of startups based in the Swiss Confederation and their experience in the field of business incubators and accelerators, notably in information technology and innovation sectors. It will conduct field visits to startups and their research centres. The delegation will also visit advanced technology centres where it will discuss knowledge transfer from those companies and centres.

HH Sayyid Bilarab will be accompanied during the visit by Qais Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, Halima Rashid Al Zar’ee, Chairperson of the Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (ASMED), and owners of Omani startups whose business is based on innovation and technology.

The delegation will also comprise working teams from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, ASMED, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, and the National Programme for Investment and Export Development. – ONA