John Wilkinson, a successful American entrepreneur, doesn't know why his first attempt to branch out to the Middle East failed so miserably. Heading home in defeat, John meets Sultan, a chance encounter that changes everything. After hearing John's story, Sultan recognizes John's failure didn't result from a bad business model. Rather, John made the fatal mistake of not understanding and accepting how business is conducted in the Middle East. Sultan invites John back to Oman to try again, this time with guidance, instruction, and proper introductions. With Sultan as his mentor, John quickly learns his hardcharging Western style must surrender to very different values rooted in ancient tribal customs and traditions. Dr. Salem Ben Nasser Al-Ismaily is the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Omani Centre for Investment Promotion and Export Development (OCIPED). Before joining OCIPED in 1996, he was the Managing Director of Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) for twelve years, establishing the first industrial estates in Oman. He also serves as a chairman and director in several oil, financial services, and research companies. He has received degrees in Liberal Arts, Telecommunications, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Management, and Philosophy from universities in the United Kingdom and USA. Dr. Al-Ismaily is instrumental in promoting trade relations between Oman and USA. His book, Inside the Omani Corporate Culture - A Research in Management Styles, co-authored with Professor Peter McKiernan of the University of St.Andrews, is the academic foundation of this story. Richard Tzudiker is a freelance writer with a Bachelor's Degree in English from Colgate University and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver. He spent half his childhood in Europe and most of his professional career with multinational minerals companies. He is currently an investment and trust account administrator at a community bank in Colorado.
John Wilkinson, a successful American entrepreneur, doesn't know why his first attempt to branch out to the Middle East failed so miserably. Heading home in defeat, John meets Sultan, a chance encounter that changes everything. After hearing John's story, Sultan recognizes John's failure didn't result from a bad business model. Rather, John made the fatal mistake of not understanding and accepting how business is conducted in the Middle East. Sultan invites John back to Oman to try again, this time with guidance, instruction, and proper introductions. With Sultan as his mentor, John quickly learns his hardcharging Western style must surrender to very different values rooted in ancient tribal customs and traditions. Dr. Salem Ben Nasser Al-Ismaily is the Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Omani Centre for Investment Promotion and Export Development (OCIPED). Before joining OCIPED in 1996, he was the Managing Director of Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) for twelve years, establishing the first industrial estates in Oman. He also serves as a chairman and director in several oil, financial services, and research companies. He has received degrees in Liberal Arts, Telecommunications, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Management, and Philosophy from universities in the United Kingdom and USA. Dr. Al-Ismaily is instrumental in promoting trade relations between Oman and USA. His book, Inside the Omani Corporate Culture - A Research in Management Styles, co-authored with Professor Peter McKiernan of the University of St.Andrews, is the academic foundation of this story. Richard Tzudiker is a freelance writer with a Bachelor's Degree in English from Colgate University and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver. He spent half his childhood in Europe and most of his professional career with multinational minerals companies. He is currently an investment and trust account administrator at a community bank in Colorado.
John Wilkinson's business brought him to places where attending Sunday mass was unlikely. Living and working in Oman, John observed that Muslims, like Christians and Jews, shared a fundamental belief in one God. He wondered what other traditions the three religions shared, but avoided the pitfalls of religious discussions. His friend and mentor, Sultan, provided an opening when he referred to the Bible's King David as Prophet David. Over several sessions, Sultan relates the stories of all the named prophets, beginning with his fascinating account of Prophet Adam. John and his visiting security chief, an American Jew, learn that Islam was founded in Judaism and Christianity, and that each prophet echoed the same message: There is one God; worship and obey Him. Most importantly, they learn that the same heart beats at the center of these three great religions. Their realization reawakens their spirituality and restores their hope for humanity. This book is third in a series involving John Wilkinson and Sultan, his mentor in the rich culture and traditions of the Arabian Gulf. Other titles include A Cup of Coffee: A Westerner's Guide to Business Culture in the Gulf States and Workplace Emotions: Emotional Intelligence in Bahraini Management. Salem Ben Nasser Al Ismaily holds degrees in Telecommunications, Liberal Arts, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Management and Philosophy from universities in the United Kingdom and the United States. Al Ismaily worked for Oman's Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) from 1984 to 1996. In 1996, he joined OCIPED, the Omani Centre for Investment Promotion and Export Development. He published several papers in the subjects of cross-culture management and economics, and two books on corporate culture. Al Ismaily makes his home in the Sultanate of Oman. Richard A. Tzudiker is a freelance writer with degrees from Colgate University and the University of Denver. Richard co-authored two entertaining and enlightening books about business management styles and culture in the Arabian Gulf Region. Richard lives in Colorado, USA.
John Wilkinson thought he knew Sultan well, but his friend and mentor surprised him when he spoke Swahili at the souk. John's errand at the ancient marketplace becomes a quest for knowledge about Oman's link to the romantic African islands of Tanzania. Sultan introduces John to a friend who spent most of his youth in Zanzibar during the tumultuous times surrounding the 1964 revolution. In conversations with John, Suleiyum and Sultan set out to document their years of research, interviews, and recollections of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. This story describes three important phases of the history of Zanzibar: the time of the Omani Sultans and the British protectorate, the fight for independence, and post- independence and the revolution of 1964 as told by students of the subject and a witness to the events. Suleiyum also relates his personal story of life and survival through the extreme violence following Zanzibar's revolution, his years as a young saboteur fighting for FRELIMO in Mozambique, and his eventual escape home to Oman and a family who believed he was dead. The Sultanate of Zanzibar is the fourth book in a series featuring John and Sultan, his mentor in the rich culture and traditions of the Arabian Gulf. Other titles in the series are: A Cup of Coffee: A Westerner's Guide to Business Culture in the Gulf States; Workplace Emotions: Emotional Intelligence in Bahraini Management; and Messengers of Monotheism: A Common Heritage of Christians, Jews and Muslims. Salem Ben Nasser Al Ismaily holds degrees in Telecommunications, Liberal Arts, Industrial Engineering, Business Administration, Management and Philosophy from universities in the United Kingdom and the United States. Al Ismaily worked for Oman's Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) from 1984 to 1996. In 1996, he joined OCIPED, the Omani Centre for Investment Promotion and Export Development. He published several papers in the subjects of cross culture, management, and economics, and two books on corporate culture. Dr. Al Ismaily makes his home in the Sultanate of Oman. Richard Tzudiker is a freelance writer specializing in entertaining and enlightening books based on academic research into the history and tradition, modern culture and business practices, and religion in the Arabian Gulf Region. Richard holds an English degree from Colgate University and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Denver. Richard writes from his home in Colorado, USA.
This is the eighth report on economic freedom in the Arab world. The index in this edition add data for 2009, the most recent year for which data are available.
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