In line with His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s vision to inspire Omani women to be more involved in the progressive development process of the Sultanate, Muriya collaborated with the National Hospitality Institute (NHI) to offer 13 young Omani women from Sifah village, a two-day taster course in hospitality and tourism.
The hands-on training included a series of capacity building sessions such as English language, customer service, front office operations, culinary and barista skills’ development. The participants were nominated by the Omani Women’s Association in Muscat to provide them with an opportunity to gain the knowledge and potentially become suitable candidates for jobs in these two up-and-coming sectors.
Muriya’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme is designed to instil a positive impact on society and includes three main initiatives, ‘Maharati’, ‘Mahali’ and ‘Musharakati’. The first initiative ‘Maharati’ focuses on building local capacities through building capacity programmes, training and skills’ development in the hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors. The second initiative ‘Mahali’ is dedicated to maximise local produce sales, opening new markets and promote unique local-made products. The third initiative ‘Musharakati’ prioritises community engagement in relation to social activities, environmental conservation and community partnerships.
Issam Al Barwani, Muriya Vice President of Government Affairs said, “Building capacity and empowering the community are deeply rooted in our ethos of corporate social responsibility. We strive to be part of initiatives that invest in people and their futures to realise more prosperity for Oman and its people.”
Issam Al Barwani added, “Throughout our history, we have strived to serve the community aiming to instil a positive impact and our cooperation with NHI and the Omani Women’s Association is in line with this strategy. We are confident that these young women’s dedication, hard work and commitment to advancing their careers will set a great example and inspire other members of the community to follow in their footsteps.”
The vocational training programmes offered at NHI are delivered by qualified trainers and conducted in commercial facilities that provide a realistic working environment. The Institution’s philosophy is founded on providing training requirements for the community, featuring renowned brands in a multitude of industries including, Gulf Chef School, Food Safety Academy, Hotel Management School, Gulf Travel School and Beauty School.
Robert MacLean, Principal at National Hospitality institute, said “We are delighted to welcome these potential hospitality students from Sifah village. We hope to be able to give them a small taste of the training we deliver to encourage them to either join full time training or source employment in the growing industry in Oman. We are pleased to be collaborating with Muriya on this project.”
Noof Hassan Almuaini, Head of Omani Women’s Association in Muscat said, “One of our main goals is to facilitate training opportunities for Omani woman in various crafts and professions to improve the standard of living in our community. Therefore, we would like to thank both Muriya and NHI for this fruitful collaboration and we hope to hear a string of success stories, one at a time, as the female students who joined this training course continue to progress with confidence and conviction to reach their full potential.”
Since inception in 2007, Muriya has been committed to empowering local communities with unique economic and social opportunities. The company’s dedication is reflected in its support for Oman’s national workforce; creating close to 1,000 direct and indirect jobs across its projects. The conducted training sessions saw the participants receive completion certificates, which will offer them the opportunity to be part of more advanced level courses in the future.
Over the last seven years, Muriya has dedicated its efforts to integrate the community into every aspect of the project’s construction, operation and supply-chain, empowering members with the means to explore their entrepreneurial aspirations as well as rewarding career paths. Muriya’s annual CSR activities will continue throughout the year with more initiatives related to education, training and environmental conservation.