Online events keep the business community connected during COVID-19 pandemic – Times of Oman

Online events keep the business community connected during COVID-19 pandemic – Times of Oman

Muscat: Hundreds of professionals in Oman have still managed to meet and make business connections during the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing knowledge and networking in a socially distant setting.

The Oman American Business Center (OABC) is best known for hosting high-level professional networking events and informational sessions for executives across the Sultanate. As the official affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce in Oman, the OABC is devoted to supporting the development of commercial relations between Oman and the US but also focuses heavily on networking Oman's business community through unique events and programmes year-round.

Quickly adapting to a new model during COVID-19, OABC has partnered on or hosted 17 events online since March 2020. Members and guests enjoyed sessions ranging from Sector Update: Logistics in Oman During and After COVID-19, to Virtual Speed Networking, during which attendees networked in ZOOM break out rooms face to face, discussed their businesses together, and switched partners every 3 minutes.

"Some might have assumed that face-to-face business networking must 'pause' for a season until things begin to improve,“ says Ali Daud, Chairman of the OABC. "On the contrary, during this crisis, connecting with others is needed more than ever before. Presenting opportunities for companies, creating space for