IFC Advisory Services in the Middle East and North Africa - PEP-MENA is engaged in several advisory services initiatives in financial markets and SME development in Oman. It recently provided advisory services to Bank Muscat to help develop financial products and services for smaller businesses. In addition, IFC's Housing Finance program assisted the Alliance Housing Bank (Ahli Bank) in its growth strategy through capacity building on underwriting processes and systems. Read more about the Housing Finance program...
In an attempt to raise awareness among the Omani banking community about the profitability of lending to small and medium enterprises, IFC, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Oman, organized a series of workshops aimed at sharing international best practices in SME banking. The workshops targeted senior managers of commercial banks, government officials, and economists directly involved in the economic development of smaller businesses. At these workshops, the benefits of investing in the SME segment were demonstrated to financial institutions and other stakeholders. Read more about the Bank Advisory Services program...
As part of its SME Management & Business Skills program, IFC completed its pilot project with Bank Muscat to assist the bank in reaching out to new SME clients as well as enhancing its SME client portfolio. Through the delivery of its SME management training solution, Business Edge, to Omani SME owners, 164 participants (80 percent non Bank Muscat clients) were trained on pricing and marketing, representing 98 different private sector enterprises. Trainees appraised the training and gave it an average satisfaction rate of 90 percent. IFC was instrumental in assisting the bank to distinctively position itself as the “Omani National SME Champion.” Read more about the SME Management & Business Skills program...
IFC Organizes Seminar to Help Resolve Disputes Among Family Businesses in Pakistan