Muscat, Oman: The Gulf Marcom Group (GMG) signed an official agreement recently to enter into a strategic partnership with Mazoon Printing and Advertising, a subsidiary of W. J. Towell, for the establishment of Gulf Marcom Oman. The signing, which took place in the presence of a number of Chief officials representing the two groups, was carried out by Mr. Thamer Khamis Al Muqla, CEO of GMG, and by Mr. Jamil Sultan, Board Member of the W. J. Towell Group.
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Sultan, remarked, "We are delighted to be entering into this solid and strategic partnership with the Gulf Marcom Group, which will allow us to benefit from the extraordinary growth opportunities in the Sultanate of Oman--particularly in the sectors of advertising, public relations, and event management. "
Mr. Al Muqla echoed Mr. Sultan's enthusiasm saying, "We are very pleased to enter into a strategic partnership with Mazoon Printing and Publishing--a company which has an impressive track record as the first in Oman to specialize in this sector upon its establishment in 1966. Today, it remains one of the largest companies in this sector, and it falls under the W.J. Towell Group, which has a trading history dating back to more than 140 years. Whereas, the Gulf Marcom Group also enjoys a lengthy and prestigious past in advertising, marketing and communications, since its inception in 1974. Moreover, GMG expanded its operations to many of the Gulf and regional markets and has formed strategic alliances with companies of regional and international prominence."
Mr. Al Muqla continued saying, "We specifically chose Oman after conducting thorough market research of the Sultanate's advertising sector, through which we found that Oman's high growth rate in advertising expenditure and has been ranked second in the GCC, increasing 42 % from US $ 71 million to US $ 120 million in 2008. Moreover, the people of Oman and Bahrain have always enjoyed the bonds of brotherhood, friendship, and historic relations which have been full of alliances--both personal and commercial--for centuries.
"Despite the global financial crisis and its repercussions on the GCC economies, we are optimistic about the future of the region. Our GCC leaders have handled the crisis wisely and our vision for the future has driven us to act decisively, and to lay the foundational building blocks of strategic alliances which will benefit both groups.
"Although the Gulf region is not isolated from the global economic system and the negative effects of the financial crisis on companies and governments, thanks to God, the Gulf Marcom Group was able to deal with the crisis with minimal damage compared to its counterparts. Unlike other companies, the GMG team did not decrease; on the contrary, we have been attracting new staff representing local and global experience, with staff growth increasing by 12%. In fact, staff growth at EVENTSCOM, a GMG company specialized in event management, increased by a rate of 33% during 2008. The launch of GMG's new companies, such as Gulf Marcom Media House, a company specialized in the development efficient low-cost advertising ideas and strategies, also contributed to the human resource growth rate," Mr. Al Muqla concluded.
Mr. Sultan, W.J. Towell Board Member, added, "In Oman, we need outstanding and high-achieving partners in the fields of advertising and marketing communications, who can contribute to the wise and successful execution of our plans. It is for this reason that we chose Gulf Marcom, since their experiences are deeply rooted in this sector and date back more than 35 years in Bahrain, the Gulf region, and Arab world."
Mr. Khamis Mohammed Al Muqla, Chairman of the Board at Gulf Marcom Group, commented saying, "The strategic alliance between companies with such a historic and prestigious past, such as the W. J. Towell Group, is part of Gulf Marcom's major growth strategy on both regional and global levels."
Gulf Marcom Group began its activities in the fields of advertising, marketing and communications, public relations, translation, publishing and other related services in 1974 in keeping pace with the Kingdom of Bahrain's economic developments and trade and industry immediately following independence in 1971. Since that time, GMG has expanded its activities to encompass many markets in the Gulf and Arab world, led by the Founder and Chairman of the Group, Mr. Khamis Mohammed Al Muqla.
Mr. Al Muqla holds the efficiency of the first degree for his pioneering role in elevating the Kingdom's stature and prominence at many international advertising forums, through heading the Bahrain chapter of the International Advertising Association, and the Bahrain Advertising Society. Mr. Al Muqla is also a board member of the International Advertising Society and the International Public Relations Society, as well as a founder and board member of the GCC Advertising Society, as well as the founder of many other professional associations.
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© Press Release 2009
