About Oman
The Sultanate of Oman is one of the most progressive countries in
the Middle East and, politically, Oman is very much like Switzerland.
With
its strategic location in the southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula it is a
haven of neutrality. The country encompasses mountains, desert, lush tropical
areas, agricultural plains and stretches of virgin beach that rival any seaside
in the world. Oman's population is 2.75 million and is a melting pot, derived
from a history of trade that made Oman, from the Bronze Age forward until the
advent of the steam boat, a major force in the global economy. Oman's sphere of
influence extended from much of Arabia through East Africa, into Persia, into
South Asia and its trade extended throughout the Eastern Hemisphere.
Under the leadership of Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the country's
extremely progressive government, Oman is committed to economic development. The
decades of the current Sultan's rule have seen extraordinary change: from almost
no infrastructure to that which is competitive with any country's; from few
schools to a system that includes the graduate level; from an economy focused on
fishing and farming to an economy that embraces sophisticated manufacturing. At
the same time the Sultanate of Oman has maintained its focus on the health and
well being of the population with safety and cleanliness being intrinsic to its
culture and family tradition.
Today, Oman is committed to creating an open market economy based
on private sector free competition. To facilitate this the Sultanate encourages
foreign capital investment to enhance the overall development of the country's
manufacturing base as it seeks to provide sustainable growth independent of its
oil and natural gas revenue. Oman's currency, Omani Riyals (OMR), is tied to the
US dollar and Oman has the distinction of being one of only two countries
outside of North America to have developed a free trade agreement with the
United States.
Over the decades, the Sultanate has successfully invested in improvements to the level of healthcare provided to its population and has achieved a state-of-the art medical system. As a result, the medical industry is an extremely important element of the country's industrial development plan. With its well educated population and its eagerness to advance technologically, the Sultanate of Oman is an exceptional location for medical device manufacturing. Oman's traditional emphasis on the best available service, commodities, and production ensures an exceptionally high level of manufacturing standards and assures the highest quality. Our joint venture partner, Salalah Medical Supplies Manufacturing Company, LLC, whose trademark is Medik, is located in the city of Salalah. With its Industrial and Free Trade Zone, international airport and state of the art commercial port facilities, Salalah is able to take full advantage of the ongoing economic investment and rapid industrial growth embraced by Oman.