Omani women entrepreneurs are being urged to convert expanding business opportunities into sustainable enterprises while ensuring social initiatives deliver measurable impacts to maintain long-term support, according to HH Sayyidah Hujaija bint Jaifer al Said. Speaking at a special event marking Omani Women’s Day hosted by Startup Grind Muscat on October 25, she emphasized the importance of initiative, partnerships, and financial sustainability as the cornerstones of successful businesses and community organizations.

HH Sayyidah Hujaija encouraged women to actively identify challenges, develop solutions, and create opportunities based on the educational, entrepreneurial, and leadership foundations established through Oman’s broader development efforts. The discussion underscored the need for entrepreneurs to focus strategically when navigating the growing array of support programs, networks, and initiatives available to them, highlighting that selecting opportunities aligned with clear business goals is vital for transforming participation into ownership.

For social enterprises, the challenge extends beyond launching programs to demonstrating how these efforts produce tangible improvements in beneficiaries’ lives. Drawing from her work with the Association for the Welfare of Handicapped Children, HH Sayyidah Hujaija stressed the importance of showing concrete changes in the circumstances of those served to maintain the confidence of partners and supporters. The association provides services such as vocational rehabilitation, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy, all of which rely on sustained resources and institutional commitment.

The discussion also differentiated between the scale of an organization’s activities—measured by the number of participants, events, or partnerships—and the actual impact, which is better gauged by observable improvements in beneficiaries’ conditions. Financial resilience emerged as another central theme, with participants exploring the potential of establishing endowments and revenue-generating assets to secure more consistent income streams alongside traditional sources like donations, sponsorships, and fundraising. While these approaches could underpin longer-term service provision, no specific funding pledges or projects were announced during the session.

HH Sayyidah Hujaija further encouraged Omani women entrepreneurs to seek opportunities beyond national borders, particularly within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and international markets. She cited examples from the fashion and consumer product sectors to illustrate the potential for Omani businesses to attract customers outside Oman. Her involvement in Oman–Bahrain business cooperation highlighted the significance of regional commercial ties. However, expanding abroad requires an understanding of target customers, maintaining consistent product quality, and forming strategic partnerships that facilitate growth.

Participants agreed that for organizations working with limited resources, collaboration can offer critical capabilities that might be difficult to develop independently, thereby supporting sustainable development and broader impact.