When Issa and Ali Al Habsi got tired of asking their parents for money, they did what many young men in Seeb, on the outskirts of Muscat, do – they set up a grill on the street.
Two months later, they had enough money to buy a second grill – and a way of doubling their profits. Two years later, the money from those sidewalk sales of meat skewers, sold at 200 baisa (Dh2) apiece, has got the brothers a food van and plans to open a restaurant.
"In the beginning, our parents were supporting us," says Issa, 22, a mechanical engineer. "Now, we give them money."
Issa and Ali sell chargrilled skewers of meat, chicken, squid and prawns known as mashakik. Their van is one of a dozen parked on two sides of a busy road beside prestigious residential and commercial development The Wave.
There are scores of mashakik sellers in the seaside neighbourhood of Seeb, but the most ambitious are here; entrepreneurs, engineers, and chefs, building their capital one skewer at a time.
Omani cooking has the imprint of its former empire, which stretched from Gwadar, a port city in the Balochistan province of modern day Pakistan, to Zanzibar.
At the mashakik market, the flavours are Zanzibari and Omani, as vendors banter in Arabic and Swahili.
Over the years, the young men enlisted the help of mothers and aunties to lengthen their menus. Grilled quail, lamb chops, burgers, hummus, fries and Zanzibari chapatti are standard, but there are also a few family recipes on offer.
Each van has its own dish. Issa and Ali, who run Barbaqu Brothers, serve their aunt's potato soup and frozen tamarind juice.
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Read more:
Why young Omanis are turning to professional folders to perfect their national dress
An Omani Village Reunited for Eid
Omani cover of Despacito tackles burden of dowries
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Coals are lit just before sunset. Once maghrib prayers end, the dusty lot fills with cars, taxis and lorries.
This is takeaway, but not fast food. Mashakik is synonymous with the Seeb art of slow living, sitting at the seaside and chatting for hours.
The mashakik trend began a few years ago, when grills were set up along the waterfront to sell food to picnicking families. Since then, it has become more than pocket money.
Mohammed Al Riyami was working as a tour guide and life-skills instructor for Outward Bound before he decided to buy a van for 4,000 rials and make mashakik his full-time pursuit in 2013.
"I wanted to start my own business, and after teaching people about networking and leadership, I found out that I had all these skills," the 34-year-old says. "The past five or 10 years, most of the people wanted to work in government. But now they understand that in government they will stay at the same level; they will not improve. So they have to have their own business to reach the level they want."
Al Riyami employs three men and his business caters for parties and television crews.
His van, 77 Grill, was one of the first. Now, it is one of a dozen that have gradually upgraded into permanent structures. First, vendors added generator-powered lights, then tables and chairs, glowing signboards and even tile flooring laid on the dirt.
Last year, one food truck pulled up. Within a few months, two more appeared. Across the road, the Hilal Burger van brought in a professional chef from Zanzibar, Fahad Mabrouk.
Mabrouk's mother is Omani. When he met a mashakik entrepreneur in Zanzibar, he did not hesitate to quit his job as a hotel chef, where he had grown tired of cooking the same buffet dishes every day.
"Rice, sauce, grilled chicken, macaroni, international pizza," he recalls with a sigh, adding that in Seeb, he earns more and works less.
Mabrouk, 27, is one of nine people working at Hilal Burger, which sells about 2,800 skewers on weekends and 2,300 on weekdays. Their speciality is lamb burger with spicy mayonnaise. They earn about 800 rials per night on weekdays.
For Issa and Ali, a student job has become a full-time business. Ali has recently graduated as an oil-and-gas engineer and wants to open a restaurant that he can manage when he is in Muscat.
It remains to be seen whether the lot will develop into a permanent market. A few weeks ago, a barrier was placed between the vans and the sea, for the expansion of a nearby development. There is talk of a relocation, as well as rumours among the vendors that the government will give them a new space.
In a city suffering from low oil prices, the mashakik entrepreneurs may have found a recipe for success.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
More coverage from the Future Forum
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
NEW%20UTILITY%20POLICY%3A%20WHAT%20DOES%20IT%20REGULATE%3F
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