Rawa Said -
Among entrepreneurs in Oman especially those under the SME category, Salim Al Habsi is one of the rising names and is beginning to gain recognition.
He is after all, reaping rewards after rewards not only for his entrepreneurial innovations but also for his socially relevant inventions that make many people’s way of life better.
A product of the Computer Sciences Department of the Sultan Qaboos University, Al Habsi always had a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.
He shared that since high school, he always had the mentality to innovate and when he got to the university, he spent a great deal of his time gaining new knowledge and experience.
Al Habsi said that these involved working different jobs in information technology and communications field. Through his dedication and yearning to learn, the different jobs he worked him allowed him to build his skills in communications, safety, security, accounting and management fields.
At a young age, Al Habsi has always kept his eyes on the prize, motivated by his eagerness to succeed.
He would eventually launch and become the chief executive officer of Sumo — a startup company which he originally envisioned would produce helmets that help reduce high degree of temperature through a small fan that is energized by solar power.
This invention would earn him the silver medal in the 8th International Innovations Fair held in November 2016. The Ministry of Sport Affairs then awarded him the best scientific innovation award for his product.
Al Habsi then focused his energy in the creation and development of ‘The Smart Drop’ — an integrated system that is of great benefit to those in the agricultural sector.
In the same year, he also worked on a separate project benefitting the medical field, a product that provides information to hospitals about the patient’s status. This same information is also accessible by the patient’s family allowing easier transfer of information in cases of emergencies.
These two projects acquired the Omani National Bank prize for innovations within the SME category. It also gained the silver and bronze medal in the 8th International Innovations Fair and ranked second place in the 7th Technical Festival.
Al Habsi eventually team up and collaborate with Rahma Al Habsi to build the High Technology Company with Rahma acting as the company’s CEO while Al Habsi managing the operations and research and development.
One of Al Habsi’s goals in setting up the new company is to have a platform for all the new products he develop. By early quarter of 2017, Salim Al Habsi’s name has become synonymous with smart inventions, reliable innovations and dedicated entrepreneurship style.
He was honoured the GCC prize for Creativeness early part of this year.
Despite all the challenges that Al Habsi faces, he strives every day to make himself better and continuously improve his skills.
He held different positions in different companies. Currently, he is the head of Public Relations in the Technical Community of Sultan Qaboos University
Al Habsi has acquired five patents and intellectual property rights locally and regionally. Despite his busy schedule, he is also involved in the formation of different charities and supervises 60 students’ project within SQU comprising of over 3000 students.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
