The first ever Omani to attend London Business School’s Sloan programme has been named the 2015 Oman Ambassador in the UK.
Aadil AL Saadi, a 33-year-old Head of Project Management Office & Business Continuity at the Central Bank of Oman, received the award during a 45th National Day ceremony at Swansea University. The Oman Ambassador in the UK award, granted by the Oman Embassy in London, is presented annually to recognise the outstanding achievements of UK-based Omani students who promote their national culture. In total, more than 3,000 Omanis were considered for the award.
Aadil was chosen after becoming one of the youngest people to secure a place on the prestigious Sloan programme as well as finishing in the top 20pc of the class. Less than 10pc of applicants for the Sloan programme even secure a place and most of those have an average of 20 years’ senior management experience. It is also worth mentioning that only three prestige business schools offer the exclusive sloan programme: LBS, Stanford and MIT. London Business School is consistently ranked as one of the top three Business Schools in the world.
Aadil, who is studying towards an Msc in Leadership and Strategy and has previously worked in Consulting, IT Strategy & Programme Management in Canada, the UK, the UAE and Oman for over 11 years, said he is immensely proud to receive the award.
“I am honoured to receive this award and to represent Oman,” he said. “I enjoy the cultural diversity at London Business School, and I am thrilled to promote Omani culture among the London Business School community. I have also really enjoyed working with Anglo-Omani Society in London which does so much to promote greater learning and understanding of Oman.
“This award, in addition to the business network I have established, has inspired me to unlock my potential to become an entrepreneur.”
Aadil was praised for his passionate promotion of Omani culture on the course. This saw him embrace the entrepreneurial ethos of the programme and organise and source sponsorship for the Oman Fun Entrepreneurial Adventure Trip (FEAT www.omanfeat2015.wix.com). The trip will see 12 Sloan fellows from 10 countries tour Oman between 18 and 24 December 2015 for a business and cultural exchange.
Aadil and his organising team managed to obtain key sponsors for the trip including SABCO Group, Oman Oil Company, The Royal Opera House, the Al Yousef Group, Oman Fiber Optic Co, Bank Muscat, and the Institute of Capability Development and UK PR firm Polaris Media. He also appreciated individual efforts from HE Sayyid Badr Al-Busaidi (Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), HE Habib Al-Riyami (Secretary General of Sultan Qaboos Higher Center for Culture and Science), and Dr. Amer Al-Rawas for their continuous support for this noble initiative.
Aadil is due to graduate from the Sloan programme in early 2016 when he plans to return to Muscat and his role at the Central Bank of Oman. He added he is working on his own entrepreneurial venture with further details due early next year.