Five of the Embassy’s nine grantees are seen here with Natasha Nasib (center), Chairperson of the Business Women’s Forum, and the Embassy’s Nicole Martin (right).

The U.S. Embassy Supports Women in Business

Muscat - The U.S. Embassy in Muscat was a proud supporter of the 2009 Women in Business Conference held here this week.  A grant from the Embassy provided scholarships for nine deserving young Omani women to attend this important annual program.  The scholarship marks the third year in which the U.S. Embassy has collaborated with conference organizers to enable young businesswomen, entrepreneurs, and recent graduates to take advantage of the professional-development opportunities and exposure to international expertise the conference offers.

“Our annual participation in Women in Business is symbolic of the Embassy’s larger commitment to partnering with Oman to enhance the role that women play in business and society more generally,” said Ambassador Gary A. Grappo. “I am glad we have the chance to broaden the conference’s impact through these scholarships.”

In addition to the grant for scholarships, all conference attendees received a variety of information on U.S Embassy programs in Oman, including material highlighting the range of U.S. government-funded exchange programs available to Omanis and the work of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).  Through programs like Women in Technology (which provides computer training to women at 11 centers across the country) MEPI has been especially active in supporting women’s initiatives.

The Embassy’s Economic-Commercial Officer, Nicole Martin, attended the conference opening and congratulated the scholarship recipients.