Local news

By Hasan Kamoonpuri
MUSCAT — The Zubair Corporation launched here yesterday its ground-breaking Omanisation initiative entitled Gold (Graduate Omani Leaders Development).  The Gold programme is part of The Zubair Corporation’s ‘Future Ready — people strategy’ campaign.  A proactive promotion of sustainable Omanisation, the Gold programme targets graduates in a number of fields, and features two-three years of rigorous academic, personal and professional development leading to potential placement in management or specialist roles across The Zubair Corporation.

Rashad M al Zubair, Vice Chairman, The Zubair Corporation, said “We will always strive to find the best people. It is important to remember that businesses do not give you insights or make decisions. Businesses do not close deals or find new efficient strategies — people do! We empower our people to drive our business forward and face challenges head-on. Our staff have always been an integral part of the extended Zubair family and will continue to do so in the future.”

Adil Ali al Rahbi, Organisational Development Manager, Zubair Corporation, told the Observer that “the aim is to identify Omanis with the potential to assume senior management roles within the Zubair Corporation which consists of 33 companies”.  Al Rahbi said over 1,000 young Omani graduates applied to join the Gold programme online and from that 250 were shortlisted for further assessment and invited to attend yesterday’s opening ceremony.

The 250 candidates will then be assessed by an independent human resources development think-tank. Only 24 will then qualify to join this business leadership programme, the first of its kind in Oman”.  Gold candidates will receive an excellent reward package during training. In addition, they will be fully sponsored on an international post-graduate management qualification at Chartered Management Institute.

Al Rahbi said the selection of candidates is a six-stage rigorous process and the successful candidates will work at the Zubair Corporation as well as study at the CMI Hilal al Siyabi, Head of Communications, said “The Zubair Corporation recognises that people are fundamental to its success, and are dedicated to nurturing their development and intellectual capital to meet current and future business challenges. A dedicated human resources team promotes a healthy culture, managing and recognising talent, ensuring the company has a competitive edge and attractive reward strategy”.

In response to question by the Observer, Al Rahbi said the Gold programme will select 24 candidates each year with a view to developing graduates as future leaders.  The programme envisages investment in human capital for building on its competitive strategy by delivering a progressive learning environment that encourages development.

The three-year programme will include academic and practical training for the candidates to enable them to manage their selves and projects in the first year, to manage others and teams in the second year and to manage managers and business in the third and final year.  The whole Gold strategy is based on The Zubair Corporation’s belief that talent drives performance and people are the only sustainable competitive advantage.

The Corporation, Al Rahbi said, aims to achieve 70 per cent overall Omanisation and 30 per cent Omanisation of senior and executive teams (GMs and Executive Committee) by 2012. Earlier, a corporate film was screened to show how Corporation has grown from a small trading business in 1967 to one of the leading business conglomerates in the region. Its diverse range of companies, subsidiaries and associates operate in Oman, the Middle East, India, the Far East, Europe and the US.