By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — Omanis can now look forward with pride to their very own ‘Made In Oman’ TVs, which are manufactured for the first time in Oman by the Omani-Korean Company LLC. Omani-Korean Company as the name suggests, is a joint venture between the Omani and Korean partners with majority share holding with the Omani partners. It all began with the vision of its founder, Suleiman bin Mohammed al Yahyai who had a dream to establish Oman as a major player on the global map in the field of the very latest and most advanced technology.

Demand for flat screen televisions is increasing at a very robust rate. International surveys have further indicated that the demand will be more pronounced for the developing countries (which includes Oman), primarily because of high replacement requirements. For the MENA and CIS regions, this demand is being totally met by importing finished goods from other regions. Setting up an assembly plant in the region will enable substantial optimisation of supply chain costs as well as ready availability for servicing the requirements of the region.

What’s more, localising the assembly process is only the first step — this will lead to the development of other ancillaries in the vertical chain. “We saw the setting up of a unit that would import the latest technology into the Sultanate of Oman and enhance the quality of life among our people. The resulting impact of diversifying the economic base and also providing avenues for high quality employment among our Omani youth, was in line with the overall directives given by the government in the ‘2020 Vision of Oman’,” Al Yahyai said.

With a substantial investment, a whole new state-of-the-art plant is already set up by the Omani-Korean Company LLC that will be operational shortly in Sohar. The company holds the much enviable distinction of being the very first industrial unit to manufacture LCD TVs in Oman, in collaboration with Korean technology.