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Ooredoo partners MATRIXX Software to digitally transform mobile experience in Kuwait, Oman
20 Apr 2019 Written by Admin AdminMATRIXX Software is a Silicon Valley-based company whose MATRIXX Digital Commerce Platform is 'reinventing' global business
Ooredoo has announced a partnership with MATRIXX Software, a Silicon Valley-based company whose MATRIXX Digital Commerce Platform is "reinventing" global business, to digitally transform the mobile experience for millions of mobile customers in Kuwait and Oman.
The partnership was announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday.
Ooredoo Kuwait has launched ‘ANA’, giving customers complete control of their mobile plans, and the freedom to choose and customise the digital package that fits their needs.
In Oman, Ooredoo has expanded its successful Shababiah digital service to include postpaid mobile services, all powered by MATRIXX, which specialises in helping mobile customers buy, manage, share and pay for digital services.
Both Ooredoo Kuwait and Ooredoo Oman are the first operators in their markets to launch such services, which provides an all-digital, individually customised mobile product that gives customers complete control of their mobile plans and digital worlds, and makes it easier to buy, use and pay for Ooredoo services directly from their mobile phones.
Ooredoo Group Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Saud bin Nasser al-Thani said, “In line with the MWC theme of ‘Intelligent Connectivity,’ our new digital mobile services in Kuwait and Oman enrich our customers digital experiences with the freedom to choose and customise the digital package that fits their needs through features like eSIM, roaming and booster packs. Oman and Kuwait customers can create their own mobile number; make appointments, track health, pay bills, and much more. We are proud to push the digital experience boundaries for our customers, bringing the best of Silicon Valley through our partnership with MATRIXX.”
The launch of these new services reiterates Ooredoo’s position as a regional leader in digital transformation, having spearheaded many pivotal initiatives, such as the introduction of the first eSIM in Kuwait, and ground-breaking 5G trials.
Combined with Ooredoo’s award winning superfast networks, these new services from Ooredoo Kuwait and Ooredoo Oman will further enhance customers’ enjoyment of digital services.
Ooredoo is keen to use ANA and Shababiah to help empower a growing population of young, digital savvy customers with the latest technology, in line with the wider digital transformation plans such as New Kuwait 2035 and Oman Vision 2040.
Dave Labuda, founder, CEO and CTO, MATRIXX Software said, “We are honoured to partner with Ooredoo as it leads digital transformation in Kuwait and Oman. It is increasingly important for mobile operators to be able to offer their customers transparency, creativity and control.
“We are proud to have our MATRIXX Digital Commerce platform at the core of Ooredoo’s commitment to enriching their customers’ digital lives.”
Source: gulftimes
Shell CEO Ben van Beurden and Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhy, Minister of Oil & Gas (MOG), have signed an Interim Upstream agreement that details funding and a work programme for 2019 for the development of gas resources destined for integrated projects to help meet the Sultanate of Oman’s growing need for energy. The other signatories were Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), Oman Oil Company (OOC) and Total.
Today’s upstream agreement covers gas acreage in the northern part of Block 6 located to the west of the existing Saih Rawl gas field that is operated by PDO. The project covers investments in gas exploration and production, in partnership with Total and OOC. The aim is to integrate the Shell and OOC share of the upstream project with the development of a gas-to-liquids plant (GTL) currently under discussion, to be developed and operated by Shell in partnership with OOC.
Chris Breeze, Shell’s country chairman in Oman, said, “Today’s agreement is a significant step forward. We hope that the development of gas resources destined for the integrated projects will play an important role in generating in-country value and diversifying Oman’s economy. This agreement marks a new chapter in Shell’s close partnership with the government of Oman.”
MOG, Shell and partners (OOC and Total) continue to work closely and diligently to finalise definitive agreements which will underpin the long-term success of the energy projects which were first outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in May 2018.
Source: omanobserver
Recent legislative reforms by the Omani government are creating burgeoning opportunities for foreign direct investment in the Sultanate, it emerged recently.
Under the current law, foreign investors are required to have a local shareholder that owns at least 35% of the foreign company. In many instances, this acts as a deterrent to investors who express a tendency to prefer full ownership of their business.
In a bid to open up the market and encourage more international companies to set up a base on its soil, Oman is looking to allow 100% foreign ownership and remove the minimum capital requirement of USD 389K (OMR 150K).
The new foreign capital investment law is in its third and final drafting stage, and according to analysts is poised to attract swathes of international firms operating in a variety of sectors from transport and logistics, to construction, technology, industrial and financial services.
According to leading independent research firm Arabian Monitor, Oman’s logistics sector is set to see significant growth, as the government announced the establishment of a new government holding company to manage its investments in ports, free zones, rail, maritime and land transport.
Acting as the government's development arm, the ‘Oman Global Logistics Group’ will play a pivotal role in creating major growth opportunities for the sector. It will also focus on realising the National Logistics Strategy, under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Communication.
According to Arabian Monitor, the logistics industry in Oman accounted for around 13% of GDP in 2015 (USD 8B) and is likely to grow at an annual growth rate of 7% between 2016 and 2020.
The firm sees infrastructure investments associated with national logistics development plans, economic diversification efforts and increased trade with other countries as key drivers for growth.
It anticipates sea transport to grow by 4.8% in 2016, driven by the increasing intra-regional GCC trade and demand from Asia, Europe, and Africa. Currently the segment accounts for 80% of freight shipped to and from the Sultanate.
The new 680km highway between Oman and Saudi Arabia which opened this year is a major milestone in improving road transport efficiency by providing a direct route between the two countries and reducing the number of border crossings.
However, logistics infrastructure in the Sultanate, especially outside urban areas, remains largely inefficient. Meanwhile, the country continues to face chronic challenges of skilled labour shortage to support the growing requirements of the market, which according to Arabian Monitor, “could hold back the sector’s growth.”
To remain competitive in the region and globally, Oman will need to invest heavily in developing and upskilling its local workforce, while also attracting top talent from more experienced regions such as Europe, Asia and the Americas.
With surging competition from neighbouring UAE and Saudi Arabia, and other countries with a similar portfolio and investment scenarios, the Sultanate will need to foster a fair, competitive and flexible business environment for both local and foreign investment to flourish.
According to the interview of Indrajit Sen with Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, at arabianindustry website, Oman’s oil production may go down a little bit in 2016, compared to 2015. One main reason for this drop is some planned activities that will take some production away. The focus will be more on activities that have as little impact as possible on production, including one or two rigs that they decided to shelve.
Oil prices have tumbled by over 40% since the start at the year, with brent crude - the global benchmark – presently trading at around $36 a barrel.
Asked if capital expenditure will be cut for 2016 in light of declining oil prices, the official said, “We have already planned in terms of what activities will be executed in 2016. We have reduced the budget to a large extent to the things that we think are very critical and are important for execution.”
“The only thing that probably remains for the companies to do is to go back and revise their own activities and make sure they become a little bit more efficient. But in terms of cutting activities, I think we have already gone past that bridge,” he noted.
Asked what the break-even cost of production for Oman would be, the undersecretary said, “We can go down to as low as it takes. It does not matter because.... ‘shutting in’ is going to cost us more money because you still need to pay for maintenance; you still need to pay for employment and so on.”
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Economy of Oman Oman is a middle-income economy that is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources. Because of declining reserves, Muscat has actively pursued a development plan that focuses on diversification, industrialization, and privatization, with the objective of reducing the oil sector's contribution to GDP to 9% by 2020. Tourism and gas-based industries are key components of the government's diversification strategy. By using enhanced oil recovery techniques, Oman succeeded in increasing oil production, giving the country more time to diversify, and the increase in global oil prices throughout 2010 and 2011 provides the government greater financial resources to invest in non-oil sectors. In the same time, Oman lies on a strategic Strait of Hormuz, where 40 percent of the world's oil shipments pass. Since 1970 the average per capita income has increased more than 5,000 per cent from $343 to reach $18,000 in 2009 and literacy rates have soared. But the question now is whether Oman can keep the momentum going. The achievements of the past 40 years have been made possible by vast revenues from oil production. However, increases in social welfare benefits, particularly since the Arab Spring, will challenge the government's ability to effectively balance its budget if oil revenues decline. By using enhanced oil recovery techniques, Oman succeeded in increasing oil production, giving the country more time to diversify. Oman has successfully executed its diversification strategy as non-oil GDP to grow 5.4 per cent in 2011 from 3.1 per cent in 2009. The non-oil sector's contribution to GDP rose considerably from 52.7 per cent in 2001 to 72.2 per cent in 2011. Factors such as high domestic demand, an expansionary fiscal policy and growth in the non-oil economy would bolster economic growth to average 5.1 per cent over 2013–17. Oman Vision 2020 Created in Muscat, the Vision 2020 of Oman was adopted in June 1995. Vision 2020 focuses on all of the aspects of the Oman economy ranging from human resources to economic diversification. As per the Vision 2020, Oman is expected to be a non-oil dependent country as it increases the measures of diversification into the services, industrial and financial sectors. Due to the fact that Oman is highly dependent on hydrocarbon for its revenues and growth. Oil’s share of total GDP is expected to drop to 9% in 2020 as compared to 41% in 2009. Oman focus on industrial sector is evident in the Vision 2020 as it plans to increase its share in GDP to 29% in 2020 as compared to 18.5% in 2009. Natural Gas is expected to see further development in production and exploration as Oman expects its contribution to GDP to reach 10% which is higher than the oil contribution. Oman is expected to carry out a third liquefied natural gas (LNG) train raising its capacity to 10mtpa of LNG. LNG is expected to become the largest non oil earner in the Omani economy and is expected to generate USD24bn over the next 25 years. Non-oil contribution to GDP is expected to reach 81% in 2020 as compared to 61.3% enjoyed in 2009. Agriculture & fishing on the other hand is estimated to contribute more than 5% in 2020 through tax incentives to corporation on income for 5 years. Paired with this is the carefully structured tourism strategy, aimed at high net worth individuals. One of the main goals of the Tourism Ministry is to represent Oman as a year-round destination.
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