MUSCAT : At a time and age when information overload tends to drown out stories that truly matter, The Arabian Stories, a platform dedicated to showcasing rich narratives of Oman and the region, pulled off a remarkable feat – the ‘Changemakers’ event. 

Held at the Crowne Plaza Muscat on September 12, under the patronage of Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said, Founder of Oman’s first mental health clinic ‘Whispers of Serenity’, and the mental health campaign ‘Not Alone’, TAS organised and presented the event in Arabic language, establishing a strong connect with the local people and engaging with the community it operates in.

Predictably, the ‘Changemakers’ event proved to be a powerful testament to the impact of storytelling in shaping our world for the better. It continues to be a beacon of inspiration and hope for everyone, including scores of dedicated subscribers and followers of TAS. 

The invited guests were treated to extraordinary journeys of change, interwoven with tales of resilience, creativity, and impact. It was a celebration of inspirational individuals – people who dare to dream, espouse positive change, and use the power of their journeys to brighten up the collective path for a brighter future. 

TAS realizes that these and other stories hold the power to change perspectives and the narratives; that they inspire action and unite communities.  

TAS honoured the six chosen ‘Changemakers’ – Her Highness Sayyida Hujaija Al Said, International Ambassador for Social Responsibility and advocate for people with disabilities, Oman’s football superstar Ali Al Habsi, Amal Al Raisi, fashion designer, Nadhira Al Harthy, first Omani woman to climb Mount Everest, Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, and Abdul Hakeem Omar Al Ojaili, CEO of BankDhofar – who took the stage to share their stories; stories that dared to challenge norms, to inspire, and to carve a path towards a brighter, more hopeful future. 

‘TAS is the voice of people – constantly evolving, innovating’: Nishad Padiyarath, CEO 

Welcoming the elite gathering at the ‘Changemakers’ event, Nishad Padiyarath, CEO of The Arabian Stories, spoke about the challenges of organising an event of such stature and highlighted the Company’s growth in a span of less than five years

“It is indeed an honour to present the first edition of TAS Changemakers today, adding yet another milestone to the achievements made by The Arabian Stories in the last four and half years of its inception.

“These years have been truly a rewarding experience for us at TAS. We started as a 24/7 digital news network, and have become the voice of the people – constantly evolving, and innovating.

“Today, we have some of the most successful brands under the TAS Media Group. Our annual ‘TAS ICONS’ magazine is all set for its fourth edition, while the ‘BusinessPlus’ Magazine, which was launched last year, is spreading it wings to the neighbouring UAE this year and to India in the next as part of our international expansion. 

“My heart is full today as I stand before you, seeing a full house. It took us almost three months to finalize the names of the six Changemakers who will be feted today and we are indeed privileged to have the best of individuals from the industry being selected as the TAS Changemaker of the Year. These are people who have created a positive change in the society and have also contributed to the growth of Oman. Today, we will be celebrating their inspiring journeys and their success stories. 

“Her Highness Sayyida Hujaija Al Said needs no introduction. Your Highness, it’s time we pay back for your contributions to this nation.

“Captain Ali Al Habsi… I have known Ali since 2008; as a journalist, I had interviewed him over a dozen times, and had the privilege of watching him fly high from close quarters. As a child, he dreamt of playing for his club Mudhaibi but went on to become the global football superstar and the first Arab to play in the English Premier League. 

“Abdul Hakeem Omar Al Ojaili, the CEO of Bank Dhofar is a veteran with over 30 years of banking experience. Al Ojaili has been leading BankDhofar through a comprehensive restructuring and transformation journey to achieve the strategic vision of becoming the Best Bank in the Gulf – not to forget his efforts in making BankDhofar the second largest in the country today. 

“Amal Al Raisi – The name itself is a brand… Amal is Oman’s pride; a celebrated fashion designer whose creations offer beautiful tributes to the rich cultural heritage of the Arab world.

“Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir:  With over 30 years of aviation experience, Captain Mohamed has successfully transformed Oman’s budget airline through a period of fast-paced growth and development, focusing on modernizing SalamAir’s operations to be innovative, cost-efficient, and customer-centric.

“Nadhira Al Harthy: As all of us know, Nadhira Al Harthy is the first Omani woman to scale the Mount Everest! 

“We are indeed privileged to have a strong line-up of Changemakers for our first edition. You are all not just changemakers but also our heroes!   

“Our premium event – The TAS Conclave – is entering its third year and has now become the national platform that brings together the country’s top visionaries, leaders, government officials, eminent speakers and even businessmen. 

“Friends, it’s my honour to present before you the theme of the third edition of TAS Conclave which is scheduled to take place on November 28^th in Muscat – ‘The future that is Oman!’ 

“TAS Conclave is not just a brainstorming session, but will be a constructive intervention as part of the journey forward, focusing on the future of Oman. 

“Before I conclude, let me thank Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said for being the patron of the event.  Your Highness it is indeed an honour to have you in the TAS family. 

“A big thank you to the Ambassadors of India, Sri Lanka and Turkey for attending our event. 

“Finally, I would like to thank each one of you for coming to support our event today. We hope you all will get inspired hearing these Changemakers talk about their journeys. 

“Thank you!” 

 ‘Tribute to the Nation’

Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said unveiled the logo of the upcoming ‘Tribute to the Nation’ drawing competition to loud applause from the elite gathering of business executives, industry leaders and professionals at TAS ‘Changemakers’ event 

“The Future That Is Oman’: 3^rd Edition of TAS Conclave  

On the sidelines of the prestigious ‘Changemakers’ event, TAS CEO Nishad Padiyarath announced the theme for the third edition of TAS Conclave

Recognised as a national platform that brings together the country’s top visionaries, leaders, government officials, eminent speakers and even businessmen together, the next edition of TAS Conclave, scheduled to take place on November 28^th, will be focused on the theme ‘The future that is Oman!’

Meet The Arabian Stories’ ‘Changemakers’ 

Presenting…TAS Changemakers; six visionaries who brought to the event their inspiring voices of change and impact

The Arabian Stories’ ‘Changemakers’ event was a tribute to every individual who dares to go beyond the expected to make a tangible difference in the community. It encapsulated the ideals of change and impact for a resilient and sustainable future through the chosen six visionaries – TAS Changemakers – who spoke about their journeys and their shared experiences for a better tomorrow.

The chosen six – featuring an advocate for persons with disabilities, a football superstar, internationally renowned fashion designer, a mountain climber, as well as CEOs of a budget airline and a leading bank – have also carved out paths that inspire others to leverage their potentials to bring about changes in the society.  All of these change-makers are connected by their unwavering commitment to create a better tomorrow.

In the following feature, we present snippets of brief chats with The Arabian Stories’ Changemakers.

Read on for exclusive glimpses into the minds and hearts of these inspirational individuals as they express their delight at winning the award share their plans to continue changing the narrative. 

Her Highness Sayyida Hujaija Al Said

“I am so happy and I am so honored to be winning this award. It is a very special award – more so as it is related to change making. I hope all the people who are joining us today for this award the best

“I have always been an advocate for people with disabilities and I will continue doing that.” 

Ali Al Habsi

“I am so happy to be one of the football players to win this award. Coming from zero – from Al Mudhaibi – and going all the way to Europe was a long journey; it was a really good journey; a beautiful journey. I enjoyed every moment… 

“I believe that if you have a dream, anyone can reach it. With hard work, and with people around you believing in you, you can achieve what you dream.

“All my concentration now is on my football academy. The football academy is my way of giving something back to youngsters…”

Amal Al Raisi

“I’m definitely happy and I feel a huge responsibility… I am, of course, very glad that I am considered as a change maker.  

“I have been trying to support fashion graduates; I really think that this is something that people in fashion design should be working on. I hope to launch this program soon to support fashion graduates.”

Nadhira Al Harthy 

“I feel this award gives me more responsibility. I mean, the title, it’s big and I take it very seriously – it will take more action from my side. 

“As I’m working in the Ministry of Education there are a few projects that we are trying. We are trying to educate students through adventures, especially in the mountains as a sport – like outdoor learning. So my responsibility will be to guide students and take them hiking, while also learning at the same time.”

Captain Mohamed Ahmed 

“It’s an honor for me to be here, especially among so many motivated and special people. This award that I have received today is on behalf of all my employees who actually put me on the stage to take the award. I hope this will motivate us to produce even more.

“We’ve always been very active in the society. We work with a lot of people; we are trying to make a difference. We have a creative and brilliant idea that we’ll announce soon – everybody will like it.”

Abdul Hakeem Omar Al Ojaili

“I present this award to my team at BankDhofar. They are the ones who made the change. I was part of them and I am proud that we have achieved where we are now and looking forward, of course, for the next.

“The contribution is continuous…all the time. We are helping small businesses to grow, which, in turn, is helping big businesses to thrive. We are also helping the government in its strategic projects. All these contributions are seen by and appreciated by the society.”

The success of ‘Changemakers’ cannot be measured just in terms of the knowledge and inspiration it imparted; it was a testament to the power of change – in bringing people together, bridging cultural divides, and spurring collective action. By shedding light on the stories of individuals striving for a better world, The Arabian Stories demonstrated how narratives can inspire a community and infuse change.