Muscat, 30 September 2012 - Nawras, Oman's customer friendly communications provider, was recognised as the best 'Organisation with Innovative HR Practices' at the Asia Pacific HRM Congress Communications Awards 2012, recently held in Bangalore, India. Amongst the winners were market leading companies such as Ernst & Young, Tata Motors, Coca-Cola, Deloitte and ING Investment Management.

As an organisation driven by over 1000 dedicated family members, Nawras was evaluated by an independent panel of awards judges.  They recognised the company's efforts and investments in the future of Oman by inspiring and nurturing the talent and energy of Nawras family members.

Following the exciting win, Kumail Al Moosawi, Director of People at Nawras, expressed his delight by saying, "To be recognised for our hard work and achievements is very encouraging. Receiving this prestigious award highlights the tireless efforts of Nawras to inspire and motivate members of the Nawras family to reach their full potential and work together as a vibrant and effective team. We have designed a number of programmes to build a caring work culture that strives for excellence to become the employer of choice in the Sultanate of Oman as we offer pleasingly different communication services to our valued customers."

Nawras is a 'people company' and has shown its dedication to maintaining an energetic and positive work atmosphere. By introducing unique initiatives, Nawras family members continue to develop and thrive in a dynamic environment, with open plan working space for everyone including the Chief Executive Officer. This layout enhances communication between departments and encourages face to face interaction. Nawras has also introduced 'FaceMail' every Wednesday when family members meet in person to solve queries rather than send emails.

The judging panel noted with particular interest the creative methods which Nawras uses to make work rewarding and motivating. This has included establishing the People Experience Department, a first for the entire Qtel Group. The Department is  responsible for conducting motivational and awareness workshops, communicating staff benefits and managing weekly team activities better known as 'take a break challenge'.

Nawras brings family members together to share experiences and discuss future plans for the coming year over an annual two-day event called 'All Hands'. To communicate immediate news, 'Flash All Hands' was introduced for family members to informally gather together at short notice to receive exciting announcements or celebrate achievements.

Nawras has firmly embraced His Majesty's vision for a self-sufficient workforce and currently enjoys an Omanisation level of around 87 per cent. The dynamic communications provider also offers a graduate scheme for high achieving Omanis to learn every aspect of the telecommunications industry over the 18 month course. The first group of graduates received their diplomas in May 2012.

The company is committed to empowering the women of Oman to enhance their participation in communications and continues to demonstrate a commitment to encouraging and assisting women to achieve their goals. More than one-third of the Nawras family is female with a current total of 63 female Sales Champions in Nawras stores, including two store managers and six assistant managers.

This latest award adds to a string of successes celebrating the company's dedication to people including 'Best Innovation in HR Strategy' at Asia's Best Employer Brand Awards 2011 and 'Customer Service Excellence Award' at the first Oman Customer Care Conference in February 2012. Such accolades highlight the importance Nawras places on every family member living the customer experience. 

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Nawras:
Omani Qatari Telecommunications Company SAOG was founded and registered in the Sultanate of Oman in December 2004. It launched its service in March 2005 as the challenger mobile operator in Oman operating under the name Nawras. Nawras was awarded the second fixed licence in Oman in 2009, and launched its international gateway in April 2010, its corporate fixed and broadband services in May 2010, and its residential fixed and broadband services in June 2010. Since 2010 Nawras has been an integrated services telecommunications operator and is currently serving around 2 million customers across the Sultanate. Following a successful IPO, Nawras is listed on the Muscat Stock Market (MSM) under the "nwrs" ticker since 1 November 2010.  Nawras is majority owned by the Qtel Group and also has a number of significant Omani shareholders which ensures that the company is strongly integrated into the Omani society. Nawras has won a number of awards including Customer Service Excellence Award in Telecom Sector 2012 from Oman Customer Care Conference, Innovation in HR Strategy 2011 from Asia's Best Employer Brand Awards, Outstanding Leader from TMT Finance Middle East 2011, Best IPO in the Middle East from emeafinance magazine and Strategic Leadership Award from Global HR Excellence Awards 2011.

About Qtel Group:
The Qtel Group is a leading international communications company, with a significant presence in the MENA region and Southeast Asia, and having a consolidated customer base of 83.4 million as of December 2011. It operates a portfolio of brands including Qtel, Indosat, Asiacell, Wataniya, Nawras, Nedjma and Tunisiana. The Qtel Group's principle activities are mobile telephone services, broadband solutions, digital futures and fibre technologies, serving both consumer and business markets. Headquartered in Doha, Qatar, Qtel Group is ambitiously growing its global business on the basis of its insights into the needs of customers in emerging markets. Qtel Group's ultimate parent company is Qatar Telecom (Qtel) Q.S.C., whose shares are listed on the Qatar Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange.

© Press Release 2012